Dead and Gone
by BamBam17
Summary: What happens when Bella’s cousin, Madeline, moves to Forks? What will happen when Jake meets her? B/C deep down we all know even Jacob deserves a happy ending. Things won’t be happy for long.. R&R. Imprint. Charc. Semi-OOC. Usual pairings JB/Mad. 1st FF!
1. Prolouge

**A/N:** Okay first off, I'd like to let you know that this is indeed my first fanfic ever! That's why I'm starting off with a short author's note… Just to let you all know how this is going to work out. I will post the first chapter of my story, so you all can see my story. Each chapter will begin with a excerpt of song lyrics (to match the title of that chapter) followed by a quote, and then the actual chapter. Author notes are not my favorite things in the world to read (or write!), but sometimes they are necessary, so you may see a few more of these. Also, I will have a few pictures that go along with this story, and the links to those are available on my page, so be sure to check those out.

Just a heads up, this story takes place AFTER Eclipse, but for the sake of my writing, a few things are different. First, James and Laurent never came to Forks, but Victoria still went after Bella. It was because she was jealous of the lifestyle the Cullen's have. Secondly, Bella's relationships with Edward, and Jacob are the same as they are at the end of Eclipse. Lastly, Jacob and Bella are still good friends, because of how close they came to each other during Edward's absence. Okay, on with the story.

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Prolouge

"_Oh hey, I've been travlin' on this road too long  
__Just tryin' to find my way back home  
__But the old me's dead and gone  
__Dead and gone_

_And oh hey, I've been travlin' on this road too long  
__Just tryin' to find my way back home  
__But the old me's dead and gone_

_Dead and gone, dead and…"_

"**When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the fact that things are so bad that they have to get better." – Malcolm Forbes**

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

Bella Swan stood in the middle of the baggage claim area at Seattle International Airport. It was mid February, so it wasn't all that crowded. Most of the people were either airport employees, or business men and women who wouldn't be staying for more than a few days. She stood there for five more minutes, before becoming frustrated with the wait. She grabbed her phone from her jacket pocket, and dialed her father's familiar cell phone number. Charlie picked up after the third ring.

"Hey Bells, did you pick her up yet?" Charlie asked. The _her_ he was referring to was Bella's cousin. Bella had never known she had any cousins... That was until just a few weeks ago. She could almost recall every detail from that conversation she'd had with her father.

_::Flashback::_

_Charlie and Bella had just sat down to enjoy a peacefully quiet meal together. It seemed like those were the only kinds they ever had together. Not that either of them minded, it suited them well. Bella was surprised when Charlie cleared his throat to speak._

_"Bella," he began before pausing. Clearly trying to pick his words carefully. "Did I ever tell you I had a brother?" he continued. _

_"Um, no," Bella finally said after staring blankly at her dad for a few moments. "You never mentioned one, I always thought you were an only child," she offered._

_"Nope," Charlie replied. "My brother Jeffery," he hesitated before continuing, "was seven years younger than me." Bella didn't completely understand what her dad was getting at, so she continued the conversation, hoping for an explanation._

_"How come you never told me about him?" She asked, "how come I've never met him?" Charlie looked down at his plate, and proceeded to push some of his spaghetti around. Bella was unsure of how long the two of them sat there like that, but finally, he spoke again._

_"We had a bit of a… falling out," Charlie told his daughter. "It was silly really. But it kept us apart from eachother. I graduated school, and joined the Forks police force, he graduated high school, and went straight on to Harvard. Finished law school, and never came back to Forks. I really should have visited him, or at least got in contact with him. But it was simply my jealousy that held me back. He had everything anyone in their right mind would ever dream of. I was stupid for letting it come between us, and destroy my relationship with my brother."_

_Bella was surprised by what her dad had just told her. Not only had her father never mentioned her uncle before, but no one had. "Why are you telling me now?" Bella asked. _

_"Well, a few years after he graduated, he got married and moved to Wisconsin. Not too long after, his wife passed away from Leukemia, but not before they had a child together." Bella was barely able to comprehend what he was telling her._

_"So I have… a cousin?" She asked, surprised. Bella didn't fail to notice how her dad suddenly averted his gaze. It was like after living in that same house for so long, he just realized how interesting the kitchen tiles were._

_"Yes, you do," he told her. _Well… That's not something you're told every day,_ Bella thought to herself. Then, slowly, the conversation clicked into place._

_"What do you need to tell me?" Bella asked, getting right to the point. Charlie looked nervous, and kept fiddling with his napkin._

_"Just a few days ago, my brother was killed in a car accident. That leaves his 15 year old daughter, and we're her closest living relatives. She's coming to Forks to live with us, Bella."_

_Bella just continued to stare at her father. It all seemed like a dream. After a few minutes, it finally sunk in. Then Bella began to worry. _What if she hates me? What if she hates Edward? What if she finds out what he is?_ Bella continued to imagine possible situations, none of them pretty._

_"Her flight comes in tomorrow," Charlie informed Bella, "I tried to get my shift at the station switched, but Henry's going out of town to his sister's wedding…" Charlie's voice trailed off._

_"It's okay Dad," Bella reassured him. "I don't mind picking her up."_

_::End Flashback::_

And that was how it came to be that Bella was waiting at the airport for her mysterious cousin. Bella and her father had only been told the basics of the situation by Child Services. Bella's cousin was named Madeline Justine Swan. She was born December 22, 1994. Her mother's name had been Jillian Andrea Swan, but she passed away when Madeline was four. She had lived in Chevy, Wisconsin her whole life, and attended a prep school… Brennan-Wood Academy to be exact. Apparently she was set to inherit millions of dollars when she turned 18. Her maternal grandfather had been a famed inventor, and her mother was a world renowned surgeon. (**A/N:** Pictures of Madeline, her mom, dad and house are on my profile!)

_She's probably bratty, fake, and stuck up._ Bella thought to herself. All of the things she hated about a person, combined into one. _Great, just who I want around… _Bella's thought's were interrupted when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Isabella?" A voice asked. Bella spun around, only to come face to face with one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen in her whole life.

The girl was about 5'3" or 5'4" tall. She had blonde wavy hair that reached a few inches past her collarbone and had a natural tan. Her eyes were absolutely stunning, the brightest shade of blue Bella had ever seen, and her complexion was flawless. The girl smiled, revealing a set of bright white, perfectly straight teeth, like the kind you always see on Crest toothpaste commercials. She was simply dressed in Adidas sweats, a black North Face and pink and white Puma gym shoes. On her shoulder hung a plain black purse, but that was all she was carrying. Bella recalled Charlie saying something about how her belongings were being shipped by movers, and would be at the house in a few days. Bella realized how awkward it must be, her just staring, so she introduced herself.

"Just Bella," she corrected, "and you must be Madeline?"

"Just Maddie," she said smiling, "it's so nice to meet you," she remarked enthusiastically. Immediately Maddie embraced Bella in a friendly hug, and then pulled back, her blue eyes looking deeply into Bella's.

_She doesn't seem so bad,_ Bella thought to herself. _Maybe things will go better that I'd expected._ Or at least she hoped.

"Well Maddie, it's nice to meet you too. But if you don't mind we really should get a move on if we want to make it home by dinner time. I'd never consider leaving my dad to cook for himself," Bella joked lightheartedly.

"Your dad," Maddie muttered, looking around that airport, "is he here?" She asked.

"No," Bella replied, "he tried to get someone to take his shift, but everyone down at the station has been awfully busy." Maddie nodded her head to let Bella know she understood, and Bella smiled back. Just then, two airport employees came into the baggage claim area wheeling a kennel.

One of them checked the sticker on the side of the kennel, "Madeline Swan?" He called out looking around at the people. _Charlie mentioned something about her having a dog, _Bella thought to herself.

"Here!" Maddie replied, waving her hand in the air. The two airport employees wheeled the kennel over to where Maddie and Bella stood. Maddie reached into her backpack and pulled out a navy blue dog leash.

"Here you go," one of the men said, opening the kennel. Bella didn't fail to notice how Maddie nonchalantly slipped both of them a tip. Bella didn't look away until an excited angel haired lab ran right out of the kennel and to Maddie, who was now kneeling a few feet away.

"Oh who's a good puppy, you're a good puppy," Maddie said in a loving voice to the dog while she clipped the leash onto its collar. "Bella," Maddie said standing up, "I'd like you to meet my puppy, Chowder."

"He's so cute!" Bella squealed while scratching behind his ears. Bella and Maddie continued to serenade the dog with attention. Eventually Bella stood up and turned towards her cousin. "Are you ready to go now?"

Maddie stood up, grabbing her purse and Chowder's dog leash. "Yeah," she answered, "did you drive here yourself?" Maddie asked Bella as they made their way to the exit.

"Actually," Bella began to answer with a smile, "my boyfriend, Edward, is waiting outside for us." As if on cue, a shiny silver Volvo rounded the corner. "This is him," Bella informed her cousin.

_Dang, he's hot, _Maddie thought to herself as she saw the guy in the driver's seat. _Aww, him and Bella make such a cute couple! I better stop staring, or he's going to think I'm strange… _

"Edward, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Maddie… Maddie, this is my boyfriend, Edward," Bella introduced the two. Maddie couldn't help but notice how Edward had a smirk on his face, as if he was laughing at some inside joke.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Maddie," Edward offered as he snaked his arm around Bella's waist.

"Yeah… You too," She replied, still slightly dazzled. That just made Edward grin even more.

"Well, we better head home now if we want to make it home for dinner," Bella said as she opened the passenger door. Edward got into the driver's seat, and Maddie opened the back door, leading Chowder into the backseat before climbing in herself.

The ride to Forks was comfortably quiet. Bella and Edward asked a few questions here and there about Maddie, and what life was like in Wisconsin. But other than that, Maddie mostly enjoyed the scenery outside. Well, maybe enjoyed isn't exactly the right word. Maddie was from Wisconsin, so she was totally cool with all the trees and stuff… It was just… Well she'd never really been a fan of rain. And let's face it; Forks, Washington wasn't really on the top of anyone's "Places to Visit" list.

After what seemed like an endless trip and too many winding roads lined with noting but green, they pulled into the Swan's driveway. Maddie was the first one out of the car, examining the house. She liked it a lot, but it made her miss her home a lot more. It wasn't even ¼ how big her other house was, but it just gave off that homely vibe.

Back home her house was gorgeous. It was a lakefront property, on about 6 acres of land. It was a massive house that featured a large wraparound porch, which was Maddie's favorite part of the house. That is if you don't count that lake.

Maddie's father had always joked that she was born part fish, which wouldn't have really been all that surprising considering how much time she spent in that lake. She enjoyed tubing, and waterskiing, even tried knee boarding a few times. But it was wakeboarding where her heart was. Maddie had been voted all state in wakeboarding her freshman and sophomore years at school, and had won many small competitions. She was the star of her high school wakeboard team, and there was even talk of her being offered a few division one scholarships. But for Maddie, wakeboarding would always be second best to soccer.

Oh, how she loved soccer. When she wasn't being towed behind a boat, she could be found on the field. As good as she was at wakeboarding, she was about a thousand times better at soccer. Soccer, to her, was life. Maddie had made the varsity girls team her freshman year, she'd even been on the starting center offense, and was half the reason they'd gone all the way to the state playoff semi-finals. Unfortunately for the team, she fell down the stairs and broke her arm right before the big game, and the team suffered a heart breaking 2-1 loss.

She'd been looking forward to playing again this year and maybe taking her team on to a state title. Too bad that wouldn't be possible, seeing as how she'd moved to Forks only a week before soccer tryouts at her old school.

"Maddie?" Bella asked, bringing her out of deep thought.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Maddie said clearly embarrassed for spacing out.

"I was just asking if you want to come inside and see the house?" Bella said walking towards the front door. Edward had already turned off the car, so Maddie got out with Chowder following close behind. She had taken off his leash; there was not a chance of him wandering anymore than 20 feet from her. She walked into the house, with her dog following closely behind.

"This is the kitchen," Bella said, although it was quite obvious. Bella then led her over to the next room, which was the living room. It was small, with a large flat screen T.V. that was Charlie's pride and joy. The two couches surrounded a coffee table, all of the furniture worn but not yet tattered, from being used so much. Maddie took note of the various pictures hanging throughout the room. Most were of Bella, although there were some from what appeared to be fishing trips. Maddie picked up one from the end table, and examined it closely. There were two men in the photo. The first was an older man in a wheelchair. He had russet skin, dark brown eyes, and long black and slightly gray hair that reached his ribcage. The second man, she assumed was Bella's father, although there was very little resemblance. He was old, while not quite as old as the other man in the photo. He had thinning brown hair, and eyes the same brown color as Bella. He looked much different than Maddie's father, who had had blonde hair and green eyes. Both of the men in the picture were smiling, holding up fish that they had caught.

Maddie put the picture back and turned her attention to another picture on the wall. It was of the same man whom she assumed was her uncle Charlie, and a pretty blonde woman. It was a wedding picture, and was quite a few years old based on their clothes. Maddie saw more of Bella in the woman. They had the same fragile cheekbones, and wavy hair. _But I thought they were divorced?_ She thought to herself. It seemed a little strange that Bella's father would still have their wedding picture in his house.

"My mom and dad," Bella explained. Maddie simply nodded in understanding. "Would you like to see the rest of the house?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Maddie replied. Bella led the way up the stairs, and into her own bedroom.

"This is my room," Bella explained, before she proceeded to open the closet. "I've cleared out half of my closet for you, and these," she said while motioning to two sets of plastic drawers, "are yours as well." Maddie looked at the drawers skeptically. While she'd never really been one for having a lot of clothes, her closet back home had been a walk in, about 8 times the size of Bella's.

"Thank you so much," Maddie said sincerely, "it really means a lot to me." She meant that with all her heart and every fiber of her being. She knew it must not have been easy to open their home to a complete stranger, even if she was related.

"Oh yeah Maddie, it's not really that big of a deal, we're delighted to have you here!" Bella exclaimed. Maddie felt a little better once she picked up on the genuine tone of Bella's statement. "There's one minor requirement though…" Bella begain. _Anything. I'll do anything as long as it means not going back there. _She thought to herself. _I miss Cate, and Jules and Davey… but not him, I'll never go back to him… _"You have to sleep on the couch," Bella said with a smirk. Maddie sighed with relief, and smiled widely.

"I guess it's a deal then," she joked. Truthfully, she wouldn't have cared if Bella told her she had to sleep in the garage or something, at least she was wanted somewhere.

"Some of your boxes arrived last night, they're downstairs in the dining room if you wanted to start unpacking them," Bella offered.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Maddie responded.

"I'm just going to get started on dinner so it will be ready when Charlie comes home… Pasta's okay with you, right?" Bella asked.

"Oh yeah, pasta is perfect." And with that, Bella and Maddie went their separate ways. Bella to prepare dinner, and Maddie to unpack some of her clothes.

**A/N: **Okay, so I know I said I'd limit the Author's Notes… But this one is necessary, I promise! I just wanted to let you guys know, the first chapter was put up to get the story rolling. It's going to be a short wait before I post the second chapter, but after this, I will update regularly. What did you guys think about the first chapter? Is it worth me continuing? Thanks for reading! xoxox, Bam


	2. Heard the World

**A/N:** Thanks to all those who read, here's the second chapter. Please review, or I might get discouraged and discontinue this story! Wouldn't that be sad? Haha just kidding… But not about the reviewing part! It would really help if I could get some input on this story. Maybe about my writing overall, or things you want to see/where you want this story to go. I will take all of your comments into consideration! Thanks for reading, Bam.

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Heard the World By: O.A.R.

_I just heard the world, is breaking down into bits again  
__Tell me what am I to do?  
__And you just want me to stay, here  
__So I'm just gonna stay, here_

_Home, the last resort  
__I built a castle with an iron door  
__Lock the door, close the shades  
__The hazed out sun won't help anyway  
__If the world is crumbling down, I don't wanna be alone  
__No, locked up in this place_

_I heard the world up, late night  
__Holding my breath tight, trying to keep my head on right  
__There's a chill in the air, nobody could care  
__How your're caught up in the fight of your life_

_Fear, is holding me here  
__The television got me seeing unclear  
__Bravery, my neighbor, moved away  
__Cause I don't need to be courageous today  
__If the world is crumbling down, I don't wanna be alone_

_No, locked up in this place_

"**And the world's a lot darker when you think you're alone." -Unknown**

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

"Maddie, dinner's ready!" Bella called up the stairs as she heard Charlie's police cruiser pull up outside. She listened patiently, and heard what sounded like a muffled reply from her cousin. Something along the lines of 'Be right down.'

As she set the table, Bella's thoughts began to drift. She was really starting to like Maddie, even if she'd only known her for a few hours. Bella could already tell she was caring, generous, polite and friendly… Somehow she couldn't help but feel like Maddie was hiding something. Bella wasn't sure what it was about her, maybe it was the way she carried herself, weary, as if the whole world could come crashing down on her at any minute, or possibly it was the hollow, empty look her eyes had.

In the short time she'd talked with her, Bella had noticed how Maddie never really looked at you, it was almost like she was looking _through_ you. Trying to gauge every reaction or remark that came out of your mouth. Sure, Maddie was plenty nice on the outside, but what was she covering up for?

Bella was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the front door thud open, and the scratching of nails on the floor as Maddie's dog trotted over to greet Chief Swan. She then heard the door shut, followed by the boom of her father's voice.

"Hey puppy!" He dad sounded enthused. Ever since Bella moved in with Charlie, he'd repeatedly tell her about how much he wanted a dog. She was sure he was going to run out and buy one, but he'd never really had the time to.

"He Bells, what's this fellows name?" Charlie asked his daughter.

"That," Bella answered, "would be Chowder." Charlie chuckled at the silly name.

"Well he sure is a good dog, even if he's named after a type of soup…" Charlie remarked. Bella watched as her dad played with the dog, teasing him and scratching behind his ears. She could tell that they were destined to become close companions.

"He sure likes you dad," She stated.

"Doesn't everyone?" He teased.

"Or so you think," Bella replied with a smile.

"I assume our guest made it here in one piece?" Charlie joked. One thing Bella had learned from living with Charlie was that he tended to crack a joke whenever the opportunity presented itself. She figured it was his way of making the best of situations.

"Oh.." Bella replied, "I guess that means her extremities should be held on by more than just Gorilla Glue and Scotch Tape?" Bella smiled at her father. Charlie chuckled and looked around the kitchen. He opened his mouth to ask where exactly their guest was, but stopped when he heard someone coming down the stairs.

Maddie appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking just as she had earlier, but without her jacket. Instead, she wore a long-sleeve white shirt that read "BRENNAN-WOOD GRILS SOCCER." She stopped dead in her tracks the moment her eyes fell on Charlie.

"You must be Madeline," Charlie suggested in his friendly tone. Maddie smiled, as if she could already tell how amiable he was.

"Yes sir, it's just Maddie though," she replied, smiling politely. "And you must be my Uncle Charlie, correct?" She asked in return.

"Yep, that's me. Just Maddie, huh? Well then, I guess you can just call me Charlie, if that's easier for you," he replied, and Maddie nodded in understandment.

The three of them sat down to dinner, which was filled with little conversation and polite small talk. Maddie could tell that Bella and her father were quiet people, which she found relieving.

"Maddie, are you sure you don't want anything else?" Bella asked. Maddie had filled her plate with nothing but plain noodles, even though Bella had laid out bread, and assorted vegetables as well.

"No, I'm good," Maddie assured her, "just kind of a picky eater." Bella and Charlie both laughed at the tone in which she said that.

"Really?" Bella asked, "so you're sure you don't want any veggies or anything?" Maddie crinkled her nose at the mention of vegetables.

"Thanks, but I think I'll have to pass on that offer," she said smiling.

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to come to the grocery store with me tomorrow, so you can pick out a few things that you like," Bella stated.

"But you girls are going to have to be sure to go early tomorrow. I promised Billy we'd go down to La Push for an early dinner at Sue's," interjected Charlie.

"Who all is going to be there?" Bella questioned as she shoveled more pasta into her mouth.

"Billy, Jacob, Sue, Leah, Seth, Emily, Sam… you know, just the usual. And I'm sure the rest of the boys will make a guest appearance," Charlie joked. Bella laughed, knowing that was more than likely bound to happen. She felt like every time she saw any of the La Push boys, they had grown bigger. Each of them consumed astonishing amounts of food, so as soon as they got word that there'd be food there, they were sure to show.

"Okay, we'll go first thing in the morning then," Bella assured her father.

The rest of the night was rather uneventful. Maddie helped Bella clear the table, while Charlie watched some basketball on television, before heading up to bed, claiming he "hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep in almost a month."

Maddie went upstairs shortly after to take a shower, while Bella curled up on the couch to read a book for her English class. About 20 minutes later, Maddie reappeared, dressed in flannel pajama pants and a different long sleeve shirt. Her hair was damp and she wore no makeup, but still looked just as gorgeous as she had before.

"Tired?" Bella asked as she closed her book and stood up to stretch her legs.

"Tired would be an understatement," Maddie told her, "flying always exhausts me." Bella made her way towards the stairs, but stopped and turned back to her cousin.

"Well you should probably get to sleep then…" She advised, "knowing all the boys down at the Res, you're going to need it." Maddie smiled weakly, and sat down on the couch.

"Bella, thanks," Maddie began, "really. For everything your father and you are doing for me, it means so much to me."

"Don't even worry about it. You'll always be welcome to stay with us," she reassured her.

"Well, goodnight then," Maddie said.

"Yes, goodnight," Bella replied as she bounded up the stairs to her bedroom, where Edward was without a doubt already waiting for her.

Somehow, Bella still hadn't gotten used to his god-like beauty, and her breath hitched in her throat when she spotted him laying on her bed. Looking like he belonged in a modeling catolouge instead of in her bedroom.

"So what's the verdict?" He asked alluringly.

"Couldn't hate her if I tried," Bella admitted honestly. And that was the truth, Maddie was better than anyone she'd expected, but then again, Bella always had a habit of expecting the worst. "She's so… admirable and charming,"

Edward chortled softly, and opened his arms, an invitation for Bella to come cuddle with him. "Of course she is, love," he explained, "she's related to you."

The next morning, Bella awoke to the sun shining brightly through her window. She rolled over to find Edward, but her hand fell on a piece of paper instead. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, before attempting to read the note. Sure enough, Edward's unmistakable handwriting greeted her.

_Bella,_

_Alice informed me that it would be nice out today, so I won't be able to see you. Have fun on your trip to La Push. Stay safe and watch out for your cousin. Also, Esme has invited both you and Maddie to come over tomorrow. Something about a family game night… Don't know exactly, but Emmett sure sounded excited. I love you._

_See you tonight love,_

_Edward_

Bella sighed, and folded the note up. Not being with Edward always made the day pass by slowly, but at least today she was faced with a full schedule. Bella groaned when she looked at her clock which blinked 8:43 am. _It's Saturday,_ Bella thought to herself,_ I shouldn't even be waking up for a few more hours._

She made her way down the hallway, Charlie's light snores could be heard through his closed door. She was surprised when she arrived downstairs, Maddie was already awake as well. She was sitting on the couch, watching Full House reruns, and didn't even hear Bella come in. As a result, she nearly jumped off the couch when Bella appeared in front of her.

"Whoa, Bella, you scared me!" Maddie said, genuinely surprised.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you," Bella apologized, "just wanted to see if you were ready for some breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'm starving," she replied. Maddie followed Bella to the kitchen, but turned towards the stairs. "Mind if I grab something from upstairs really quickly?" She asked.

"Nope not at all," Bella answered, "I'll get us set up down here." Maddie treaded up the stairs, while Bella went through the cabinets grabbing the breakfast essentials. _Hope she likes cereal,_ she thought to herself. Bella set the bowls, spoons and milk on the table, before grabbing a couple of boxes of cereal from the pantry.

Maddie returned, holding something in one hand and took a seat at the table. As Bella took her own seat, she was able to see that her cousin was holding a phone.

Maddie turned her attention towards her phone, which she hadn't even turned on after she got off the plane. She wasn't one of those people that could not leave home without her phone, but he music was a different story. When it finally turned on, she wasn't surprised to see that she had 16 missed calls, and 22 new messages.

Looking at the missed call log, a pit formed in her stomach as she realized that more than half the calls were from _him,_ and a few of the messages as well. She skipped right over anything with his name on it, and went right to the texts from the rest of her friends.

_From: (262) 555 2381 To: (262) 555 8817_

_hey mj… hows the new life treating you? call me as soon as you land. miss you, xoxo cate_

_From: (262) 555 2381 To: (262) 555 8817_

_maddie y havent you text me back yet? im starting to worry about you doll. call me when you get this. love, catelyn_

_From: (262) 555 2381 To: (262) 555 8817_

_hey mads.. i want your fine ass to come home right now, cant live w/o my lover, cate_

_From: (262) 555 2381 To: (262) 555 8817_

_sorry, that was sawyer lol… he says he misses you too! call me asap, your best friend in the world_

Maddie laughed as she went through all the texts from her closest friends. She missed them all. Cate, Sawyer, Davey, Cheyenne, Dakota, Kassidy and Joss… The whole crew. She didn't know how she was going to survive the weekend without them, let alone her first day of school in a new town. But she didn't want to focus on that just yet… She'd worry about it when the time came. For now, the least she could do was text her friends back.

_From: (262) 555 8817 To: (262) 555 2381_

_cate i miss you too girl. call you tonight, promise. love maddie _

She sent a few more texts just like that, until she was satisfied. She wanted to make sure her friends knew she hadn't fallen off the face of the earth. Well, living in a town like Forks, someone might as well have.

Breakfast for the girls passed in much the same way as dinner had. Quiet, and too the point. In a short amount of time, they were off to the grocery store. Bella got what she would need for dinner the rest of the week, and also learned just how much of a picky eater Maddie was. So Bella let her cousin pick out whatever foods she normally ate, which consisted of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Wildberry Pop-Tarts, Kool-Aid, Popsicles, frozen waffles, iced tea, Lucky Charms, Macaroni and Cheese, Jell-O, applesauce, unhealthy amounts of candy, and the necessary ingredients for peanut butter sandwiches.

"Please tell me you eat more than just this junk," Bella pleadingly joked.

"Nope, that's pretty much the basic diet of Maddie Swan…" Maddie replied while still thinking. "Oh, and I like grilled cheese sandwiches, too." she added thoughtfully.

"Jeez kid, don't you eat any vegetables, or maybe some fruits every once in a while?" Bella asked laughing.

"Well… I eat applesauce," Maddie replied thoughtfully, "that's kind of like a fruit."

"Hardly," Bella responded.

By the time the duo returned home, Charlie was finally awake, and had just gotten out of the shower. After unpacking their purchases, the girls went off their separate ways. That's how they spent the rest of the day. Bella finishing up on weekend homework, and Maddie typing away ferociously on her laptop. A few hours after lunch Charlie told the girls he had to stop at the station to get some paperwork, but that they should be ready to go by the time he got back.

Bella got herself ready while he was gone. She dressed simply in a pair of dark jeans, and a black v-neck tee. It wasn't wet outside, and Bella took advantage of that by wearing a pair of black Berkinstocks instead of her usual boots. She pushed her hair back with a thin black headband, and went downstairs to make sure her cousin was ready.

Maddie had put on a pair of ripped jeans, rolled up just a little bit, to the point where they were somewhere between pants and capri's. The front of her sweatshirt read "CHEVY LAKE LACROSSE" in red and black letters. She had straightened her hair, and put on a little makeup. Bella wondered how on earth she could dress as simple as that, with just a sweatshirt and jeans on and still look like she walked out of a magazine. As she turned to grab her shoes, a pair of Rocket Dogs, Bella noticed the back of her sweatshirt said "LANDON" in thick black letters.

"Landon?" Bella asked curiously, she was interested in learning about Maddie's friends from back home, and assumed that one of them was named Landon. A boyfriend perhaps?

"Yeah," Maddie replied. "My friend Joss gave it to me before we left."

"Joss?" Bella asked. "How come it says Landon then?" She hoped Maddie wasn't getting annoyed by her simple questions, she was just trying to keep the conversation going.

"Landon is his last name," Maddie explained. "His real name is Josiah Richard Landon III, so he just goes by Joss. It's a lot easier for him."

"Oh, well that makes sense then," Bella agreed. She was about to ask Maddie another question, but was cut off by the honk of Charlie's cruiser outside. "Looks like it's time to go," she offered. Maddie nodded her head and followed Bella out to the awaiting car.

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**A/N:** Hope you're all enjoying my story, I know I am! Ha. There won't be another update until I get a few reviews, just to know that people are actually interested in it. Sorry, the first two chapters were pretty uneventful, but they get better from here on out. I swear! Next chapter Jake comes into the picture, and I'm sure you know what that means... If you have any questions, just let me know and I'll be happy to explain anything. I'm planning on posting everyone's ages at the start of the next chapter. Thanks and take care, Bam.

P.S. - Don't expect updates and new chapters to always come this soon, but they will be in this realative area of legnth. Somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 words is probably a good guess. I just threw this chapter up in hope of getting at least a few reviews. It might be a while before the next installment, but it will be worth the wait, I guarntee! Thanks for reading, B.


	3. Better Days

**A/N:** Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it! And please, please review. I'm virtually begging you! :) Also, just for the heck of it I put links to pictures of Jacob Black, and Maddie and Bella's outfits from this chapter into my profile. Enjoy, Brody.

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Better Days By: The Goo Goo Dolls

_I wish everyone was loved tonight__  
And somehow stop this endless fight  
Just a chance that maybe we'll find better days _

So take these words  
And sing out loud  
Cause everyone is forgiven now  
Cause tonight's the night the world begins again  
Cause tonight's the night the world begins again

**"Life comes at us from out of the darkness. And at times we can struggle to find the courage to face it." –One Tree Hill**

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

Bella, her father, and Maddie made their way up to the Clearwater's front door. Maddie had been a little hesitant about leaving Chowder to fend for himself, but eventually Charlie convinced her that the dog would be okay. The drive down to the Reservation had been quick and they were the first ones to arrive. Sue greeted the three of them with open arms, and excitedly introduced Maddie to Leah and Seth.

Leah came off with her usual bratty attitude. But she was able to warm up to Maddie after a couple of minutes. Unlike Leah, Seth was immediately in love with Maddie. He practically hung on her arm everywhere she went. If Maddie got up to refill her drink, Seth go up to refill his. If Maddie went to sit on the couch, Seth went to sit right next to her. Maddie found it flattering, but Leah and Bella found it purely annoying.

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Sue opened it to find a very wet looking Emily and Sam Uley. Unsurprisingly, it had begun to pour buckets of rain, not that anyone minded. Sam and Emily walked into the kitchen where everyone was just sitting around and talking. Charlie was the one to introduce them to Maddie, who was relieved that they seemed just as nice as everyone else. The group sat around chatting for several minutes, until Maddie excused herself to go to the washroom.

"Second door on your left," Sue instructed.

"Right," Maddie replied as she made her way down the hallway. She really liked the house a lot, actually almost as much as Charlie and Bella's house. Everything about this place was nice and cozy. Eventually Maddie made it to the bathroom, but not before she stopped to admire all of the Clearwater's family pictures and memorabilia that lined the hallway.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, everyone continued joking and having a good time. Sam was right in the middle of a story about what happened the first time he went to meet Emily's parents, when the doorbell rang again.

Leah was the one to open it this time, welcoming Billy and Jacob Black into the house. Well, it was actually more like just welcoming Billy. Leah and Jacob had never really gotten along since they were little kids, and it was just something that neither of them could get over.

Jacob lead the way to the kitchen, followed closely by Leah and Billy, who maneuvered around the crowded kitchen the best he could in his wheelchair.

"Jake!" Bella exclaimed when she spotted her friend. She ran up and gave him a big hug.

"Hey Bells. Miss me that much already? I mean I did see you last weekend," he joked, receiving a playful punch from Bella. He looked around the kitchen for the new face, Bella's cousin, who Billy had informed him would be there.

"Where's this mysterious cousin of yours?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"Well actually mister, she does have a name, it's Maddie. And she's standing right over there," Bella chuckled as she pointed towards the doorway where Maddie was now standing.

As soon as Jacob laid eyes on her, it was like the whole room began to spin, and time just ceased. The air seemed to get thicker, and he couldn't even sort out any of his thoughts. At that moment in time, all Jacob Black knew was that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his entire life. He'd never even spoken one word to her, and he already knew she was the one person he wanted to spend forever with. Jake instantly loved everything about her. He loved the way her blue eyes were so bright they almost glowed. He loved the way her blonde hair fell perfectly, framing her face. And the way she bit her lip and looked away when she caught Jacob starring.

Billy Black had been watching this entire exchange comfortably from his spot at the table. As soon he saw the look in Jacob's eyes, he knew his son had done it. He had imprinted.

"Earth to Jacob Black," Bella said, waving her hand in front of his face. That was enough to pull him out of his trance, but he kept his eyes locked on Maddie.

"Yeah, Bella, what is it?" Jake's voice was barely audible as his gaze remained on Bella's cousin. At that point in time, something in Bella's mind clicked.

"No, no, no, no," she repeated. "Jake tell me what I think happened, did not just happen," Bella practically begged. Finally, that seemed like it was enough to get his full attention.

"Umm, what?" Jacob asked as a result of his thoughts still being jumbled.

"Jake, please please tell me you did not just imprint… on my cousin," she added in a whisper. Jacob stared at her for a few seconds, before realizing that she was right. He had in fact just imprinted, and he could tell Bella was pissed about it.

"Bella, just try and understand," he prompted, his eyes pleading.

"Jacob, no. This. Is. Not. Okay," she emphasized. Bella was being torn up on the inside by what had just happened. It wasn't that she didn't want Jacob to be happy, because she truly did. For quite awhile now, since Edward came back to be exact, she'd hoped that Jacob would find the right girl, and get on with his life. But never in a million years did she expect that girl to be her cousin.

"Bella, please. You know that I couldn't have possibly helped this, but there's nothing we can do now," Jacob explained truthfully.

"I don't care. And yes, _we_ can't do anything… But _you_ can. Just stay away from her Jake. She's a good person, amazing actually. She does not deserve this. You have no idea what this girl has been through, and I'm not going to sit back and watch as her life goes on without her consent." Bella was really fired up now, and not about to give up arguing with Jacob.

"You won't let her life go on 'without her consent?'" Jacob quoted. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" He asked.

"Just because you want her, does not mean she will be pressured into a relationship for the rest of her life. I won't let that happen to her," Bella retorted.

"And I won't either," Jacob fired back.

"Jake, please just leave her alone. If you care about her enough, you won't drag her into this messed up world of werewolves. She's just a normal girl, and doesn't need to find out about anything even relatively close to that. I won't let her life be turned upside down anymore than it already has been." Bella was trying her hardest to reason with Jacob. Hoping that she'd be able to persuade him, and ultimately protect her cousin.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are," Jacob barked, raising his voice, "but that's not your decision to make."

"Yeah, well it shouldn't be yours either," Bella sneered. By this time, the eyes of everyone in the room were turned to Bella and Jacob, and were watching the heated exchange of their words. No one really knew what they were arguing about, but it didn't sound good.

When the blow of Bella's last comment sunk in, Jacob's eyes began to glaze over, and a couple people in the room tensed. For when Jacob began to shake violently, they knew what was going to happen. But instead, Jake kept his cool for a few more seconds as he stormed over to the front door, opened it wide, exited, and slammed it hard.

The door collided with the frame with such force that the whole house seemed to shake and the glass panes of the door shattered. A couple of people in the kitchen let out sighs of relief, they were grateful that Jacob had just managed to avoid a huge slip up.

The silence continued for a few moments, the tension in the room so thick you could practically cut it with a knife. Sam and Billy exchanged knowing glances across the table, and Seth and Leah were staring at each other intently. Emily just shook her head, and Sue was the first one to speak.

"So… Who's ready for dinner?" She offered.

"Yeah that sounds… lovely," Emily responded.

After a few hours, it seemed everyone had forgotten about Jacob's little tantrum. Not Maddie though. She actually hadn't stopped thinking about him since he left. He had definitely been one of the most handsome boys she'd ever seen. He had short black hair, and copper skin. His eyes were a beautiful deep brown color, almost hypnotizing. Thanks to the fitting shirt he'd been wearing, Maddie was able to make out the perfect form of his body. He seemed out of place in the tiny kitchen, his huge cumbersome frame massive compared to anyone else, even Sam who was a massive man. He'd been tall, towering over Bella, and no doubt at least a foot taller than Maddie. Even when he'd freaked out, she still kept her eyes glued to his face. She couldn't help but feel like she was part of the reason he took off in the fashion he did, and as a result Maddie was extra quiet throughout the remainder of dinner.

Lucky for her, Bella didn't feel like being social much either. Her constant negativity and nagging was what influenced Charlie to take her and Maddie home as soon as the table had been cleared. Charlie, Bella and Maddie said their goodbyes quickly, each of them promising they'd be back soon to visit. Bella, however, had no intention of coming back for awhile. And as long as she had her way, Maddie would be keeping her distance from La Push as well.

As soon as the trio arrived back at home, Charlie made his way upstairs for bed. He told the girls that he was planning on going on a short fishing trip with Billy early in the morning, and wouldn't be back until Monday, sometime around dinner. He kept apologizing that he'd miss Maddie's first day of school, but she told him it wasn't a big deal. Both Maddie and Bella easily convinced him that they'd be fine without him.

"Thanks girls, you make my life so much easier," Charlie told them as he headed up the stairs. Bella and Maddie also made their way up the stairs, with Chowder following closely behind. Maddie went to shower, while Bella went to send a quick e-mail to Renee.

Maddie reappeared in Bella's room after a few minutes, dressed in her pajamas. She was going through one of her bags of clothes, when the silence was interrupted.

_Slow down.. this night's a perfect shade of  
Dark blue (dark blue)  
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?_

_When I'm here with you  
I said the world could be burning (burning) down  
Dark blue (dark blue)  
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?_

_Well I'm here with you  
I said the world could be burning_

'_Til there's nothing but dark blue…  
Just dark blue_

It was Maddie's cell phone ringing from somewhere on the other side of the room.

"Sorry," she muttered to Bella as she made her way to find it. Finally, after looking under a pile of some books that she hadn't had a chance to put away yet, she found it.

From across the room, even in the dim light of Bella's one lamp on her nightstand, she noticed the way the color drained from Maddie's face as she looked at the caller id.

"Sorry. I've, uh, just gotta take this," Maddie explained as she practically flew out of Bella's room. Through the echo of the quiet house, Bella could hear Maddie's faint 'Hello?' Bella decided to stop being nosey, and get back to the last of her homework she had to do. But the look on Maddie's face as she checked her phone kept coming back to haunt her. It wouldn't be nosey of Bella if she went downstairs and got a glass of water, would it? You know, if she just happened to overhear some of Maddie's conversation?

_Yeah, that's it,_ Bella told herself, _I'll just get a drink of water._ And with that she rose from her place on her bed and made her way down the stairs. On her first step, the stair creaked loudly, and she mentally cursed the old set of stairs.

_Not that it matter's if she hears me,_ _I'm just getting a drink of water,_ Bella reminded herself. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could almost perfectly make out Maddie's side of the conversation.

"No Eli, it's not even like that," Maddie said to the other end of the phone like. "I don't know, a while I guess, maybe a long time," she continued her half of the conversation. From her place perched at the bottom of the stairs, Bella was able to her what sounded like the other person on the phone raising their voice. "Elijah! Why are you yelling at me?!" Bella didn't fail to pick up on the way Maddie's voice shook a little, like she was nervous or scared. "Yeah, whatever. Don't bother asking, she won't tell you… No one will. And don't waste your time calling back," she told whoever she was on the phone with before hanging up on them.

Bella heard Maddie get off the couch, so she took of back up the stairs, afraid of being caught in the act of eavesdropping. By the time Maddie got up to Bella's bedroom, Bella was already sitting on her bed with a book open. She had already decided not to ask Maddie about who was on the phone, but tucked the conversation away in the back of her head, because she knew it would come in handy sooner or later.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah sure," Bella replied.

"Your friend…" Maddie started.

"Jacob," Bella filled in for her.

"Yes, your friend _Jacob_ she emphasized his name, "why did he act like that tonight? Was it something I did?"

Bella couldn't help but feel sorry for Maddie. The way she took blame like that reminded Bella of a little kid. She seemed so innocent, and Bella secretly hated Jacob for making her feel like she'd done something wrong.

"Don't be silly Maddie," Bella told her. "You've never even talked to him, how would you have caused that?"

Maddie let out a relieved laugh. "I suppose you are right," she told Bella, "I just couldn't help but feel somehow responsible for his… outburst."

"Yeah, Jacob can be a little temperamental at times, but it's nothing to get hung up over," Bella told her.

"Okay, if you say so," she responded.

A short time later, Maddie and Bella said their goodnights, and parted ways. Maddie headed to her bed on the couch, with Chowder following her closely. Bella lay down on her bed, and tried willing herself to sleep. It didn't work well. She knew it was going to be a long night without Edward there for her, but she would see him soon enough. Eventually, Bella was able to close her eyes, and succumb to the darkness of sleep.

For the first time in a very long time, Bella's dreams were not filled with images of her, and Edward by her side, but instead they were haunted with images of Maddie; wandering around aimlessly in a dense forest before being saved by a wolf. A wolf who just so happened resemble Jacob in awful lot. Maybe it was her subconscious's way of warning her… Some things are just inevitable.

* * *

**A/N:** First off, let me apologize. I know this chapter was not quite as long as the previous two, but I have reasoning behind this, I swear! The original Chapter 3 that I wrote was very very lengthy. So much so, I made the decision to instead divide it into two separate chapters. I will post the second half (which is now Chapter 4) shortly, it just needs a tad bit more elaboration in certain places. Just a heads up, the first half will be a lot of Jacob, and what's going on in his head right now. The second half, well Maddie will finally be introduced to the rest of the Cullen's, lol. Take care, and thanks for reading, Bam. Btw, Maddie's ringtone was "Dark Blue," by Jack's Mannequin.


	4. Your Everything

**A/N: **Oops. Just realized I haven't put any disclaimers yet! Haha wow. Well I guess I will just put one now, and have it count for the whole story. PLEASE REVIEW. Thanks, love you all!! And remember to review... :) Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top! -Brody

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Twilight, or any of the characters from Stephenie Meyer. Remind me, and you risk getting punched. Kay?

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Your Everthing By: Keith Urban

_The first time I looked in your eyes I knew  
I would do anything for you  
The first time you touched my face I felt  
What I'd never felt with anyone else_

_I want to give back what you've given to me  
I wanna witness all of your dreams  
Now that you've shown me who I really am  
I wanna be more than just your man_

_I wanna be the wind that fills your sail  
Be the hand that lifts your veil  
Be the moon that moves your tides  
The sun coming up in your eyes  
Be the wheel that never rusts  
Be the spark that lights you up  
All that you've been dreaming of and more, so much more  
I wanna be your everything_

"**It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped." –Anthony Robbins**

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

Maddie awoke to Chowder licking her arm fiercely. "Oh yuck!" She said, playfully pushing him away. "Do I look like a giant meatloaf to you?" She asked the dog. Chowder simply wagged his tail in return, happy for the attention. Maddie got off the couch, and went to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. The red letters glared at her from the microwave. "7:23 AM," they practically shouted at her.

_Well, at least I slept in a little bit today,_ she thought to herself. Maddie wasn't really one of those people who could sleep all day. She usually only got about 4 or 5 hours a sleep, and even that seemed like plenty for her. She was constantly awoke throughout the night, and had trouble falling back asleep.

_Maybe I'll just go out for a run,_ she decided. First, she looked outside and saw that Charlie's police cruiser was already gone, which meant he had already left with Billy Black. Maddie went into the laundry room, where she kept the clothes she still needed to put away. She didn't want to risk going into Bella's room and waking her up. She threw on a black and white stripped Nike pull over hoodie, black Nike running tights, a pair of running shorts, and her gym shoes. Maddie tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen where she left a note for Bella, explaining where she'd gone. After that, she headed outside and into the morning mist.

Maddie followed the street that Charlie and Bella lived on, down until it met with a running and biking path that cut through the forest. She wasn't worried about getting lost, because she would just follow that same path back home.

Running had always been an outlet for Maddie. Even from a young age, it was something she had loved to do. She was pretty good at it too. Her lungs never burned like most people's would. Even after she'd run 8, 9, or even 10 miles, her lungs felt free, and her heart felt strong. She'd been on the cross country team during her freshman year. She'd even gotten second in state for her mile time, running it in a mere 5:02, which was astounding. But she'd been forced to give up cross country due to a… conflict of interest. She'd never stop running though, it was just too important to her.

Maddie felt so free as the trees flew past her. The path was mostly empty, but every once in a while she'd run by someone going to opposite direction. She regretted not bringing her iPod with, as the forest was eerily quiet. After about 30 minutes, the path opened up to a main road of sorts, and Maddie had to run along the sidewalk.

It was more crowded here, compared to the running path. The rain had begun to pick up a little bit, not that it bothered her. She didn't miss a beat, and her pace never slowed. That was, until she saw someone staring at her from across the street.

_No freaking way,_ Jacob Black thought to himself as he saw the girl running on the other side of the road. He smiled to himself, maybe this was the chance he'd been waiting for since he first saw her yesterday. The night after he'd imprinted, Jake barely got any sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to get her out of his thoughts.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Even standing there, (she'd noticed him staring, and stopped running at this point) Maddie looked gorgeous. She was wearing her running attire and her hair was thrown into a messy ponytail, but he'd never seen a girl look half as ravishing as she did. His heart skipped a beat and his stomach flip-flopped when he saw her wave to him. He waved back before deciding that he should probably go say high. _Just to apologize for my behavior last night,_ Jacob reasoned with himself. He pulled the hood of his jacket up and jogged across the street to where Maddie was standing.

"Hey," Jacob barely managed to get out as he stood next to her.

"Hey," she replied. Her voice was the most stunning thing he'd ever heard in his whole life. "You're Jacob, right?" She asked him. He smiled, surprised that she knew his name.

"Yeah, and you're Maddie Swan, Bella's cousin, right?" Jacob questioned her.

"Yup, that's me," she told him. Jacob's heart almost melted when she smiled at him. She was definitely more resplendent than he could recall.

"Look," Jacob began, "I just wanted to apologize for the way I ran off yesterday," he said. "I was just really stressed."

"No, don't even worry about it," Maddie said, still smiling.

"Cool, so you don't hate me?" Jacob joked.

"Nah," she responded. "I may think you're a little strange… but I definitely don't hate you." Jacob laughed and Maddie joined him.

"So I was thinking," he began again. "Maybe you'd like to go out with me sometime?" Jacob offered.

"That'd be nice," Maddie replied. She didn't show it, but on the inside she was jumping with joy. Jacob seemed like a really great guy.

"Great!" Jacob exclaimed, before pulling out his cell phone. "I don't suppose you'd be against giving me your number?" He asked.

"Sure," she answered. "It's 262-555-8817." Jacob punched the numbers into his phone as Maddie recited them for him.

"Alright, so I'll call you sometime," he told her.

"You better," she threatened jokingly. "Hey, do you have the time?" She asked him, suddenly worried about Bella waking up to an empty house.

"Yeah, it's about 8:30," he told her.

"Really?! That late already?" She asked worriedly.

"Ha yeah why? Got a hot date or something?" Jacob asked.

"No actually, mine hasn't called me yet," she told him smiling. "It's just that Bella was taking me to meet her boyfriend's family today…" Jacob's whole body tensed when he realized she was talking about the Cullen's.

"Oh," was all he could manage to respond.

"Well I guess I should get going then," Maddie told him.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you soon," Jacob promised. Maddie smiled at him once more, before turning and running into the woods the way she'd came from. He mentally cursed himself for letting her leave. _I swear to God, if one of those bloodsuckers so much as lay a hand on her,_ Jacob thought. He laughed a little at that, he was already becoming the over protective boyfriend, and him and Maddie weren't even dating.

Maddie's whole run home, she thought about Jacob. Which in turn, made her get home 10 minutes earlier than expected. She always ran faster when she wasn't thinking about it. She arrived home a little after 9 am, and Bella was just waking up.

"Hey Maddie," Bella said as she walked down the stairs.

"Good morning Bella!" Maddie said a little too enthusiastically.

"Jeez, you're clearly a morning person," Bella joked in return. Maddie had already decided she wouldn't tell her cousin about her run in with Jacob. So she thought of an excuse quickly.

"Yeah, running in the morning always wakes me up," she told Bella.

"Great, because we're driving to Edward's around 11, okay?" Bella asked, and Maddie nodded in response. "And because I'm a great cousin," Bella continued, "I'll even let you have the shower first!"

"Thank you oh-great-one," Maddie laughed, as she headed up the stairs. Even when she got in the shower, she was still thinking about Jacob. She had been so excited when he asked her out, and she couldn't wait for him to call… _Jeez woman,_ she thought. _Hold yourself together! It hasn't even been one hour yet!_ Maddie finished her shower in minutes, and went back to Bella's room to grab her clothes.

She picked out a Rolling Stones t-shirt that had been a gift from somewhere, a pair of tight North Face sweatpants, and short Uggs. Maddie blow-dried her hair, and then put it back into a loose French braid. She finished off with her key necklace she always wore. It was special to her, because it had once belonged to her mother. On the inside it was inscribed _Jillian, Now you hold the key to my heart._ It had been a gift from Maddie's father when they'd first begun dating. (**A/N: **Pictures of necklace on profile!)

Bella was the next to get ready. Throwing on her usual attire of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. It was a bit wet and muddy outside, so she slipped her rain boots on. They had a few minutes to kill, so both girls went into the living room to watch T.V. The only decent show they could agree on was House, so that's what they watched.

Maddie pulled her picked her phone off the coffee table, and saw she had a few missed calls, as well as some new messages. A few of them were from Eli, which didn't surprise her, but she chose to ignore those. Instead she took the option of calling one of her best friends, Cheyenne, who she hadn't really talked to since she left Wisconsin. Cheyenne picked up on the third ring.

_"Hello?"_

"Cheyenne! I've missed you so much girl!"

_"MJ! How come you this is the first time you called me?"_

"Chey, relax! I've only been gone 3 days."

_"Yeah, but it feels like it's been 3 years."_

"Seriously, tell me about it! How has everyone been?"

_"You know, just the usual. Kassidy got a new boyfriend, Dakota broke his leg, Davey got suspended… again…. And you know... Elijah's back. He's been asking about you."_ At the mention of his name, Maddie's stomach dropped.

_"He keeps asking where you've moved to, I think he even threatened Catelyn. But no one's told him."_ Maddie instantly felt bad for Cate. She made a mental note to call her later and ask her what happened. She hated that her friends could get hurt because of her.

"He didn't go near her, did he?"

_"No, I think Joss or Davey got in the middle of it."_

"It's only a matter until he finds out where I am.."

_"Mads, don't think like that. No one's going to tell him anything."_

"Yeah, but you don't know Eli like I do. Sooner or later, he's going to get his way."

_"Just don't think about that, kay? We're all looking out for you."_

"Yeah, I know. And you all shouldn't have to."

_"Anything for you Maddie. We all miss you so much."_

"Look, I miss you to Cheyenne, but I have to go. Tell everyone I'll call them later."

_"Kay, bye! Love you girl."_

"Love you too Chey!" Maddie hung up her phone, but the pit in her stomach still remained there. It was bothering her that Elijah was still looking for her… And she was worried that he'd eventually find out where she'd gone to.

Bella had heard the whole conversation… Well, Maddie's side at least. And that, along with what she'd heard earlier was enough to know that this Eli kid was bad news. Bella assumed that it had been a bad break-up or something… Oh how she had no idea.

"Ready to go?" Bella asked Maddie shortly after.

"Yeah," Maddie said as she grabbed her jacket off the kitchen chair. She followed Bella outside and around the side of the house to where Bella's truck was parked. She almost died of laughing when she saw it.

"This is yours?!" Maddie asked incredulously. The old piece of junk looked as if it hadn't run in years.

"Hey, leave my truck alone!" Bella grumbled. "He's sensitive," she added while patting the hood. Maddie was almost in tears from laughing so hard.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say…" Maddie suggested.

"Are you implying that you don't like my truck," Bella questioned, feigning hurt.

"No, no. It's not that. Your truck actually has a lot of… characteristic," Maddie replied, trying to hold back another laugh.

"Yeah well, you better get in, or you will be walking your sorry butt there," threatened Bella.

"Okay, okay," Maddie said as she climbed into the truck.

The drive to Edward's was fairly short, Maddie was a little nervous about meeting the rest of his family. Secretly, she wondered if they would be as gorgeous as him.

"Well, this is it," Bella said pulling into the Cullen's super long driveway. Maddie squinted, straining her eyes as she attempted to see through the fog and mist that had developed outside. As they came nearer, she was able to make out the house.

"It's so pretty!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Carlisle is a doctor," Bella explained. Maddie gave Bella a questioning look.

"Edward's father," she offered. Maddie's mouth formed a slight "o" as she continued to gape at the beauty of the house in front of her.

"Sooo.. Are you going to stare at it all day, or would you like to come inside and meet everyone?" Bella teased.

"Sorry," Maddie said turning to Bella. "It's just so different from the rest of Forks," she told her cousin.

"Yeah, I know," Bella replied, "but that's what makes it so beautiful." With that, Bella climbed out of the car and headed towards the front door. Maddie followed closely behind her, trying hard not to slip on the wet driveway.

The front door opened as soon as the pair reached it, revealing a short girl with hair as dark as coal. She was extremely pale, but just as stunningly beautiful as Bella's boyfriend, Maddie noted.

"Bella, I've missed you!" She said, her voice sounded like a melody.

"Oh Alice," Bella said giving the girl a hug. "Alice, this is my cousin Maddie, Maddie this is Alice."

"It's nice to meet you Alice," Maddie said.

"Yes, you too," Alice replied. "Come on inside both of you! I know everyone else is eager to meet you, Maddie." Maddie blushed slightly at the thought, which caused Alice to laugh a little. "Yes, you're definitely related to Bella." Bella laughed too, because she knew exactly what Alice was referring to.

Bella and Maddie followed Alice into the spacious family room, where the rest of the family was waiting. Maddie couldn't help but marvel over how admirable each person was. Maddie struggled to remember everyone's names, as she was lost in their angelic faces.

There was the man with the honey blonde hair. He looked a little older than the rest, but only by 3 or 4 years. Next to him stood a woman with light brown hair that was formed into soft waves and curls. Then there was the other blonde man, who looked more boyish. He seemed to have an almost translucent look in his eyes. Standing next to him, was the girl Maddie knew as Alice. On her left, was the third girl of the family. She looked like she'd just stumbled out of Vogue. Her hair was lengthy and blonde, and she had nearly perfect facial features. On her other side was a burly man, with dark brown hair. He was considerably buffer than the others, although they all looked like they could hold their own in a fight.

Maddie was so lost in the appearances of everyone, that he hadn't even noticed Edward had come to stand next to Bella. At this point in time, Maddie felt slightly left out. It looked as if everyone had a significant other, well, except for her. She wondered what Jacob was up to right now… Secretly wishing he'd call. Even if it was a school night. That didn't stop her from thinking about what had happened earlier that day. She had to keep reminding herself that it was real, he had asked her out, she hadn't just been daydreaming.

For some reason, Maddie noticed Edward's grip on Bella tighten. His face looked puzzled, like he was trying to figure something out. Maddie wondered why he was always acting so strange…

Edward had heard all of Maddie's thoughts. Including the part where she replayed her meeting with Jacob earlier in the day. This worried Edward greatly, because the night before when he'd snuck into Bella's room, she'd explained what had happened at the Clearwater's.

For quite some time, Edward had been trying to get over the whole vampire and werewolves thing for Bella's sake, but there was something about Jacob that Edward just couldn't handle. He just couldn't put his finger on it… Maybe it had something to do with Jake's infatuation with Bella, but either way, the guy still bugged him.

The rest of the afternoon was quite uneventful. Edward had decided he'd wait until that night at Bella's to tell her about Maddie running into Jacob. Everyone, even Rosalie, was in a pretty decent mood. They had just sat around and talked, watched a few movies, even played a few video games. But all too soon, it was time for Maddie and Bella to go.

Everyone had gotten along with Maddie amazingly. She played video games with Jasper and Emmett, talked fashion with Rosalie and Alice, and even surprised Rose with some of her knowledge about cars. The Cullen's said their goodbyes to the Swan's, and wished Maddie a good first day of school.

Bella drove Maddie back to Forks, where she let Maddie handle dinner. Of course, Maddie made grilled cheese sandwiches, which Bella learned were some of her favorite things to eat. The girls both showered, and got ready for bed, wishing each other a good night. Bella climbed into her bed, waiting for Edward. And Maddie climbed into her bed, cuddling with Chowder.

Bella was relieved when she returned from the bathroom and found Edward sitting still as stone in her desk chair. She was glad to finally have some alone time with him.

"Bella, I have something to tell you. But you first must promise you will not over react," Edward told her seriously. Bella suddenly became worried, as Edward sounded austere.

"What is it?" She asked wearily.

"It's Maddie. She's agreed to go out with Jake," Edward responded. Normally, Edward was not one to get mixed in with other people's love lives, but he'd seen how upset the whole situation made Bella. So he proceeded to tell Bella all about how Maddie had ran into Jacob that morning, and had been thinking about him while at the Cullen's.

Bella wasn't as mad as Edward had originally expected. She was rather stumped. It seemed that she knew she wouldn't be able to keep them apart for long. But she had originally suspected a little more than 10 hours. It wasn't like Bella was keeping Maddie from Jacob because she didn't want Maddie to be happy, it was because she was worried for her. All her life, Bella had been an only child. She'd never known what it felt like to have someone else to care about. But now that she had Maddie, she felt protective of her. She couldn't bear to see her get hurt, and was still concerned about whatever was still going on in her old life.

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Bella was rather sure she'd have to follow Maddie around school tomorrow, as there was bound to be boys like Mike Newton drooling over her. But how long could Bella protect Maddie for?

**A/N: THERE IS A PICTURE OF ELIJAH ON MY PROFILE.** Check it outtt??

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**A/N:** Sorry, this took a few more days than I hoped it would to get it out. But it's longer than the last chapter, so enjoy! The next chapter will be Maddie's first day at school, and more Jacob! Yay. Also, in the next few chapters, Maddie's past comes back to get her.. But it's not what you think ;) Thanks for reading! Take care, Bam.

P.S. Review… Please! If I get a few reviews, my next chapter will be out before Friday! If not, it probably won't be until Saturday or Sunday…!


	5. Hold My Hand

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait… Things have been super crazy. First it was my brother's wedding, then my school got closed from swine flu! And now I've got like double the homework load.. But the wait was partly due to the lack of reviews… But thanks to those of you who took the time to review! It really means a lot. Please review! It'll make me update faster… :) –Brody. Also thanks to thebestauthor for agreeing to be my beta! (Sorry I didn't send this chapter to you.. I just kind of threw it up here) Okay, on with the story.

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Hold My Hand By: Hootie and the Blowfish

_Yesterday, I saw you standing there  
Your head was down, your eyes were red  
No comb had touched your hair  
I said get up, and let me see you smile  
We'll take a walk together _

_Walk the road awhile, 'cause  
'Cause I've got a hand for you  
I've got a hand for you  
'Cause I wanna run with you  
Won't you let me run with you? yeah  
_

_Hold my hand  
Want you to hold my hand  
Hold my hand  
I'll take you to a place where you can be  
Hold my hand  
Anything you wanna be because  
I wanna love you the best that, the best that I can_

**"It's never too late to live happily ever after." -Unknown.**

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Bella Swan woke to the annoying buzz of her alarm clock. As most people do, she hated Mondays. Every Monday morning, getting herself out of bed seemed like a daunting task she'd rather not attempt. Too bad she didn't have a choice. Eventually, Bella was awake enough to drag herself out of bed. She picked out what she would wear to school, a pair of light jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. She knew for a fact that Charlie had already left for the station, so she didn't worry when she yelled down the stairs to her cousin.

"Maddie! Get your butt up and moving girl, we've got 20 minutes!" Bella heard the sound of someone moving around downstairs and then Maddie appeared at the foot of the stairs. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black BRENNAN-WOOD GIRLS SOCCER shirt, which matched the black Uggs she had on.

Maddie had woken up quite some time earlier. She'd actually already been dressed and showered before Charlie even left for work. Getting dressed had proved to be a harder task then she first thought it would be. Maddie had to make sure she chose an outfit that would help her blend in, so she had just grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Beat ya," she told Bella with a smile as she grabbed her jacket off a kitchen chair. Bella laughed, she'd honestly not even expected.

"Good," Bella replied. "Because you'd better be in the truck and ready to go in exactly 19 minutes and 12 seconds." Maddie faked a look of disgust, and pretended to gag.

"You mean we've actually got to go to school in that… thing?" Bella just laughed, and Maddie joined in. "Don't worry Bella, as soon as we go and visit my house, I'll show you some _real _cars," she joked.

"Whatever, just make sure you're ready," Bella said as she left the top of the stairs and went to the bathroom. Maddie made her way around to the kitchen, where she got a yogurt out of the fridge and patiently waited for Bella to finish getting ready.

About a half hour later, the duo arrived at the school.

"Welcome to luxurious Forks High," Bella joked as she pulled the truck through the maze of parking lots and other students who were arriving.

Maddie stared out the window a couple of buildings she assumed made up the school. It was a lot different from back home, where she had gone to a private school. Here everyone just looked so… Normal. Everything about this place just gave off a laid back vibe, and Maddie liked that.

"So I'll take you to the main office if you want me to show you where it is," Bella offered her younger cousin.

"Yeah, that'd be great actually," Maddie responded gratefully. Bella got out of the truck, and walked next to Maddie. They hadn't even made it inside yet, and Bella could tell people already were staring. By the time they'd made it to the front office, Bella knew her cousin would have to be completely blind not to realize all the heads that turned her way in the hallway.

"Bella, you don't have to come in with me, I think I got it from here. Thanks though," Maddie said as they approached the door.

"Okay, just... Call me if you need anything, I'll be waiting right here," Bella responded as she leaned against the wall. Maddie walked into the front office and was greeted by a friendly looking lady at a giant oak desk.

"Hi honey, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Hi, my name's Madeline Swan, I'm new here," Maddie told her. Somehow, she got the feeling that she'd be saying that a lot throughout the day.

"Oh of course," the secretary replied as she shuffled through some of her papers. She finally found the ones she was looking for and handed them to Maddie. "Here's your schedule and a map of the school, make sure you return the yellow form by the end of the day." Maddie smiled at the woman, secretly hoping she'd be able to remember to come back at the end of the day.

"Great, thanks so much," Maddie told the woman as she made her way towards the door. She glanced at the paper on top, and groaned when she found out her first period class was geometry. She was so busy looking over the rest of her schedule that she didn't even realize someone had approached her.

"What's your problem?" Bella asked sarcastically. Maddie jumped slightly surprised by her cousin.

"Nothing really… Just that I've got geometry first hour… And well, I don't really like math all that much," she explained. Bella opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a blonde haired boy. He draped his arm around Maddie's shoulders and then turned to face Bella.

"So Bella… This is your cousin?" He asked, although he already knew the answer. Forks High School was fairly small, and it was always easy spotting a new student.

"Yes Mike," Bella replied as she lifted his arm away from Maddie, "and she's only 15, so you better keep your hands to yourself."

"15?" Mike asked surprised as he looked at Maddie. "Damn, could've fooled me," he muttered as he checked her out.

"Ew gross," Maddie said with a disgusted look. "Bella, would you be kind enough to get your deranged friend away from me?" She practically begged.

"Sorry Maddie," Bella said laughing. "It seems Mike here doesn't understand the word 'personal space.'"

"Oh no, I understand it," Mike cut in. "I just choose not to respect it." Maddie and Bella couldn't help but laugh along with Mike.

"Well, it's been a pleasure ladies, but I really must be getting off to first period," Mike told them as he turned to walk the other way. "Oh and Maddie," Mike called, causing her to turn around. "I'll see you later." And with that, Mike took off down the hall.

"Ew ew ew… He just winked at me," Maddie whined to her cousin. Bella just laughed and shook her head.

"Better get used to it…" Bella teased. "What's your first class again?" She asked Maddie. Maddie looked at the paper again, still unsure of where she was supposed to go.

"Umm… Geometry in room 143 with Ms. Genke," she answered. Bella thought for a moment.

"Great, I'm headed that way, I'll walk you," she told her cousin, as she began to lead the way down the hall. After a couple of turns, hallways, and a staircase, Bella finally stopped. "Room 143 should be up there on the left," she informed Maddie.

"Thanks so much Bella," Maddie said sounding genuinely grateful. She was glad that her day had at least gotten a little better.

"Yeah, no problem," Bella answered. "Oh, what period do you have lunch?" She asked thoughtfully. Maddie had to check her schedule once again before responding.

"Lunch is.. 6th period," Maddie replied.

"Great, you can sit with us," Bella offered. "That is… unless you'd rather sit with Mike…" she teased.

"No thanks," Maddie answered while rolling her eyes. Maddie and Bella said their goodbyes and it wasn't until Maddie had reached the classroom door that she realized she hadn't even asked who "us" was.

_Oh well,_ she thought. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see._ And with that Maddie opened the door to her class. The bell hadn't rung yet, so kids were busy enough in conversation that they didn't even notice Maddie walk in. She looked around the room, taking in the view.

There were about 14 other kids, who all looked around her age. After searching for a few seconds she was finally able to locate the teacher sitting at a large wooden desk in the corner of the room. Maddie made her way towards the teacher, who looked up when she saw Maddie approaching.

"Ah, you must be Madeline," she said with a kind voice.

"Actually, it's just Maddie," Maddie responded as she usually did on the first day of school. Ms. Genke was about to say something else but was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell, which signaled the start of class. Ms. Genke stood up and faced the rest of the students.

"Okay class, quiet down," she instructed. The laughter and talking quieted down and eventually stopped as all eyes turned towards the teacher. It was then that the other students began noticing the new kid in their class.

"Class, I'd like you to meet a new student of ours, Maddie Swan," the teacher said while motioning towards Maddie. Of course that didn't do much, because all the eyes in the room were already on her. The other girls were already giving her death stares, while the boys were busy checking her out. Some of them were even nudging each other.

_This is going to be a long day,_ Maddie thought to herself.

"Why don't you go ahead and take the empty seat behind Samantha," Ms. Genke told Maddie as she gestured towards a red haired girl in the back of the class.

"Great, thanks," Maddie said as she made her way back to her seat. When she sat down, Maddie was relieved to find that most people had finally stopped staring at her, and had turned their attention towards their teacher, who was now writing in the board.

"Hey," a voice whispered from next to Maddie. She turned and found herself face to face with a light brown haired boy who looked a little too old to be in a sophomore class. His hair was shaggy and slightly messy, and his left ear was pierced with a diamond earring in the Michael Jordan symbol. He had green eyes and a nice smile.

"Jarrett Evers," he said as he offered his hand out to Maddie. Maddie smiled at him before shaking her hand.

"Maddie Swan," she told him. He slid back into his seat, but continued to stare at Maddie.

"So where exactly are you from?" He asked out of curiosity. It wasn't exactly everyday that a new student arrived at Forks High School. Usually as soon as someone found out there was going to be a new kid, word spread like wildfire. But with Maddie, no one knew she was coming until the last second, and they didn't know much about her.

"Wisconsin," she answered.

"So what brings you to Forks?" Jarrett questioned.

"I'm living with my uncle and cousin," Maddie said. She figured it would be easier if she left out the whole 'I'm an orphan' part.

The rest of the class period passed without much excitement. When the bell finally rang, Jarrett stood up, but stood next to Maddie's desk.

"What's your next class?" He asked. Maddie pulled her schedule out of her notebook and looked at it for a second.

"Chemistry in room 228," she said looking up at him.

"I'm heading that way too, I can walk you if you'd like," he offered politely. Maddie thought about it for a moment, realizing that she really didn't know where she was going.

"That would be great, thanks," Maddie said as she stood up.

Walking down the hallway, Maddie noticed more people were starring at her than before. It didn't really bother her though, it's not like she knew any of them.

"I just have to stop at my locker really quick… If you don't mind?" Jarrett offered as they rounded the corner.

"Yeah, that's fine," Maddie told him. She was really grateful that he had been nice enough to offer to walk her to her next class.

"Jarrett!" A brown haired boy called from the other side of the hallway. The boy then noticed Maddie and elbowed one of the guys he was standing next to. As they got closer, Maddie saw that there where about 5 guys standing around what Maddie assumed was Jarrett's locker.

"Hey guys," Jarrett said. "This is Maddie, Maddie this is Reese, Jamie, Parker, Christian and Cole," he told her as he pointed to each boy. (**A/N**: Pictures of the guys on my profile…)

"Hey," Maddie said casually. Every guy in the group was too busy checking her out to realize that she'd even said anything. Finally, the boy who he'd introduced as Cole finally spoke up.

"Hey," he said. "What class do you have next?" He asked secretly hoping that it would be the same as his.

"Chemistry," she told him. Cole had to suppress a smile.

"No way, so do I," he told her. "I can walk you there, if Jarrett doesn't mind" Cole said.

"No, it's cool," Jarrett said sounding kind of disappointed.

"Come on Maddie, it's this way," Cole said as he put his arm around her shoulders. He looked back and winked at his friends before moving his arm and continuing down the hall with Maddie.

Maddie followed Cole into a corner classroom on the second floor. The room was already halfway filled with other students, but Maddie found her way to the teachers desk easily.

"Ahh Miss Swan I presume?" The teacher asked without looking up from his work. He didn't wait for her to respond. "We don't have assigned seats, so go ahead and sit wherever you'd like," he told her. Maddie turned around and took a look around the classroom. It wasn't hard for her to spot Cole, waving his hand in the air and calling Maddie's name.

"Maddie, over here!" Cole yelled to her. He was sitting in the corner of the room with two girls. The first was blonde with gray-ish eyes. Her baby face was completed with her hair in a low ponytail. The second was even prettier. She had dirty blonde hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at Maddie, who was now making her way over to the group.

"Maddie, I'd like you to meet my friends, Lexi," Cole pointed to Alexis Ingram, the first girl, "and Cam," he pointed to Campton Reilly, the second girl. (**A/N: **Pictures of the girls on profile…)

"Your eyes are so pretty! Do you wear contacts?" The girl named Cam asked Maddie.

"Nope, that's just what color they are," Maddie explained.

"Girls, please. Class has started," the teacher called from the front of the classroom. Cam turned back around to face him, and Maddie turned her attention out the window. No use paying attention when you have no idea what is going on. Or at least that was what she always told herself. Maddie wasn't exactly anyone's idea of a star student. But she hadn't gotten F's either. She was just one of those kids that managed to hold on, even if that meant cheating every once in a while.

The class period passed without much excitement… Just an extremely long lecture from the teacher, who's name Maddie still had not learned. Her next few classes also passed uneventfully, which came as a relief to Maddie. She met a few people… some girls, and a few boys, but she couldn't remember any of their names. She'd never been very good at the whole 'names and faces' ordeal.

Maddie walked to her locker then slowly made her way to the lunch room. She was hoping that Bella would already be there by the time she got there. Things must have been going her way, because Bella was the first person Maddie noticed when she got to the lunch room. She was sitting at a round table in the back of the room, surrounded by Edward and the rest of the Cullens. Maddie was walking towards Bella's table when she felt someone grab her arm. She turned and found herself face to face with a familiar pair of green eyes.

"Hey," Jarrett said. "I was thinking maybe you'd like to sit with us?" He asked, motioning to a table filled with guys and girls, some who she recognized.

"Thanks Jarrett, but I think I'm going to sit with my cousin today," Maddie explained.

"Oh," he replied sounding a little disappointed. "But you'll sit with us tomorrow?" He asked her. Maddie tried to pull her arm away from him, but he held on even tighter. She couldn't help the way but notice how his question sounded more like an order.

"Yeah sure," she answered, hoping he would let go.

"Cool," he responded before finally dropping her arm. "See you tomorrow," Jarrett said as he turned and walked back the way he had come. Maddie continued towards Bella and the Cullens, rubbing her arm. She finally made it to the table and sat down in the only available seat, which was between Rosalie and Jasper.

"Who was that guy?" Bella asked semi-concerned. "And was he bothering you?" The way Bella asked made Maddie think that maybe she wasn't the only one who had realized how tight he'd grabbed her arm.

"No one I can't handle," Maddie said hoping that Bella would just let the subject drop. There was a moment of silence at the table, but it was broken by Alice, who wanted to ask if anyone had seen the atrocious outfit Becky Harrington had been wearing. Her and Rose quickly got into a heated debate about whether or not it was okay to wear brown with black. Meanwhile, Jasper and Emmett were busy discussing the football game that would be on that night, and Bella and Edward were off in their own little world.

Maddie looked around the lunchroom at all the different tables and somehow her eyes locked with a pair of green eyes that belonged to none other than Jarrett Evers. Maddie got the shivers. He was really starting to irritate her out. She shook it off and pulled her phone out of her bag. "THREE NEW MESSAGES" it read. The first two were from her friends back home and the third was from a number she didn't recognize.

_From: (702) 555 4212To (262) 555 8817_

_hey maddie its jacob black. i know its a school night but i was thinking may b youd like to hang out?_

Maddie's stomach did a little flip-flop as she re-read the message. Jacob Black, the gorgeous boy she'd hardly talked to wanted to hang out with her? She hadn't really been expecting him to use her number, but she was glad he did.

"Maddie lets go," someone said, pulling her out of her happy-state. She looked up and saw Bella just a few feet away. The cafeteria was now almost clear, with the exception a few stragglers left behind.

"Oh, sorry Bella," she said as she gathered her belongings. Maddie walked a little faster to her next hour class, anxious to get the day over with. After all the sooner school ended, the sooner she would be able to see Jacob again.

Maddie's last two classes of the day were a blur. Of course it's not like anyone had to pay much attention in Art and Study Hall, but still. Maddie practically ran out to the parking lot and to Bella's truck. Unsurprisingly, however, Bella was nowhere to be seen. Maddie leaned against the passenger side door and began to wait patiently for her cousin. A few boring minutes later, Maddie felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Jeez Bella, I thought I was going to have to wait all day," Maddie joked as she turned around to face Bella. Instead of looking at Bella, Maddie found herself looking at an orange shirt. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

"Maddie," Jarrett's voice said. Maddie took a step back and Jarrett's hand left her shoulder. She'd never realized how intimidating he was before. But looking at him now, Bella realized he had to be at least 6'3" tall, and in pretty good shape.

_Not as good of shape as Jacob though,_ Maddie couldn't stop herself from thinking. She didn't say anything in response to Jarrett, just stood there.

"I went to your locker after school, but you weren't there," he said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah sorry," she told him. "I, um, had to go the main office," she explained, which wasn't exactly a lie.

"Yeah well, I wanted to see if maybe you could hang out tonight?" He asked. Maddie thought about his question for a moment.

"Actually, I'm kind-of busy already," Maddie said.

"With what?" Jarrett asked. Maddie was getting pretty annoyed at this point. What difference would it make for him to know? If she was busy, then she was busy.

"I'm going shopping with my cousin," she explained lamely, hoping that would be a good enough answer.

"Oh, okay then never mind," he replied harshly. He was about to say something more, but was interrupted by a group of people walking by.

"Hey Jarrett, let's go," the middle one who Maddie recognized as Jamie called.

"See you tomorrow," he said grinning as he walked towards his group of friends. Maddie sighed with relief when he was out of sight. He was strange before, now he was just getting creepy. Maddie was lost in her thoughts and almost didn't see that Bella was approaching the car.

"Hey squirt," Bella said as she unlocked the car. "Eager to get home?" She asked, noticing at how quickly Maddie got in the truck.

"Yeah, something like that," Maddie muttered in response.

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**A/N:** Okay! So there it is! Phew. It took long enough :) haha. But review and the next update shall be super speedy… I promise! Yay, more Jake in the next chapter! Also more of Maddie's creepy stalker… Mwahahaha. Thanks for reading… Bam. Oh and don't forget to check out all the pictures on my profile! Take care, drive safe, and remember... Review.


	6. Nothing Left to Lose

**A/N:** Please don't hate me! I know it's been like 3238423 years, but I've been sooo busy. Plus, I have mono :( So all I want to do all day is sleep. Which doesn't really help with my whole 'massive amounts of makeup work' for school. And finals are in like two weeks! Ahh. But I'm going to try and update more regularly, because I know it must be annonying. Anyways, read, review, and take care! -Bam

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Nothing Left to Lose By: Mat Kearney

_Something's in the air tonight  
__The sky's alive with a burning light  
__You can mark my words something's about to break  
__  
And I found myself in a bitter fight  
__While I've held your hand through the darkest night  
__Don't know where you're coming from but you're coming soon_

_To a kid from Oregon by the way of California  
__All of this is more than I've ever known or seen__Come on and we'll sing, like we were free  
__Push the pedal down watch the world around fly by us  
__Come on and we'll try, one last time_

_And here we go, there's nothing left to choose  
__And here we go, there's nothing left to lose  
_

"**Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell." –Joan Crawford**

**x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x  
**

"Hey Jacob, its Maddie Swan," Jake heard what sounded like the voice of an angel on the other end of the phone. He had to control his voice, and hoped that Maddie wouldn't be able to sense the excitement in his voice.

"Hey Maddie," he replied with an easy going tone. "What's up?"

"Nothing really actually…" She answered. "I got your text today, and I think that would be really cool if we hung out tonight," Maddie told him.

"Really?" Jacob asked, his voice practically dripping with excitement. "I mean, yeah I think that would be cool too," he said calming himself down. "If you're not busy or anything," he added quickly.

"Nope, I'm free," Maddie told him.

"Awesome… so I can pick you up at around six?" Jake asked while checking the time on the microwave. That gave him a little more than two hours to plan everything out.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Maddie responded enthusiastically.

"Okay, see you then," Jacob told her.

"Bye," Maddie said, relieved when she heard Jacob respond with a faint "bye" before hanging up. She couldn't help but let out a small squeal of excitement. She was going on a date with Jacob Black, the cutest boy she'd met since moving to Forks.

_Oh my gosh, what am I going to wear?! _Maddie thought frantically while the smile faded from her face. Biting her lip she made her way over to the closet and threw the doors open. She began the pitiful process of digging through her closet in hopes of finding something decent to wear.

A half hour later, Bella trekked up the stairs. It had been quite some time since she'd heard from her younger cousin, and wanted to see what Maddie was up to. Bella gasped as soon as she opened the door to her bedroom.

It looked as if the closet had thrown up all over the room which was then followed by a raging tornado. Standing smack dab in the middle of the clutter and mess was Maddie, who was looking intently at a light blue shirt. Eventually, she frowned in disgust, sighed and then threw the shirt over her shoulder. She was about to pick something else up, but was interrupted by Bella.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the heck is going on in here?!" Maddie's attention snapped towards the door, her face momentarily held a look of shock, but it was quickly washed away and replaced with one of desperation.

"Oh Bella, you have to help!" She cried, throwing her hands up in the air. "I've got a date with Jacob, but I have nothing to wear!" Bella gave Maddie a confused look before opening her arms and gesturing to the messy room.

"You're saying that in all these clothes, there's not one thing you can wear?!" Bella asked disbelievingly. Maddie nodded her head in response and Bella bent down to retrieve a shirt off the ground. "What about this?" She asked before throwing the shirt back down and picking up a skirt. "Or this?" Maddie shook her head no to both items of clothing before turning back to the closet. Her face suddenly lit up like she had a great idea.

"I know just who to call!" She exclaimed grabbing her phone and hitting one of the speed dial buttons. The person Maddie was calling picked up on the fourth ring, and sounded slightly groggy.

_"Hello?"_ The voice on the other end said with a yawn.

"Catelyn?! It's Maddie… I need serious fashion help," Maddie informed the person who she had chosen to call.

_"Maddie!"_ Catelyn replied, obviously more awake after hearing her best friends voice. "What's up? I haven't talked to you in forever! I miss you so much…"

"Yeah, I miss you to Cate. But listen. Right now I need serious advice…" Bella watched as Maddie explained the situation to her friend. She talked so fast Bella busy wondering what she was saying… but then it hit her. Maddie had said she had a date with Jacob. As in Jacob Black. Bella had been too busy surveying the damage done to her room that she'd missed out on that little fact earlier.

"Perfect!" Maddie exclaimed from across the room. She was holding a pile of clothes under her arm, and makeup filled both her hands. "Thanks Catelyn. I owe you one big time… Okay, love you too! Bye." Bella was about to bring up the whole 'date with Jacob' situation, but missed her chance when Maddie flew out of the room. A few seconds later Bella heard the bathroom door slam.

Great, Bella thought to herself. She knew there was not a chance she'd be able to convince Maddie not to go_. I bet Edward will know what to do_, she decided, before heading downstairs to invite him over.

Charlie was working late at the station… again. So it was just the girls on their own for dinner. Bella figured Maddie wouldn't be joining her for dinner, so she was making a box of mac n' cheese for herself. She was startled by a velvet voice that came from the other side of the kitchen.

"You know, you people should really learn to lock your doors," Edward said with a smile as he leaned against the counter.

"Edward!" Bella said excitedly as she happily skipped over and jumped into his arms. She inhaled his scent deeply.

"Just the person I need to talk to…" She said with a sigh.

"What's wrong, love?" Edward asked concerned.

"It's Maddie," she explained, "she's going on a date with Jacob tonight.

"Okay, and the problem is…?" Edward asked. Bella just shook her head and closed her eyes. She was tired of being the only one looking out for her cousin.

"I don't think she needs this in her life right now," Bella began. But she was cut short when Edward held a finger to her lips.

"Bella dear," he told her, "we've already had this discussion. Remember what we decided? This is Maddie's own life, and if she really wants to pursue a relationship with Jacob then we shouldn't stop her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Bella told him looking down.

"So, what do you think?" Maddie's voice asked from the foot of the stairs. Bella lifted her head up towards wear her cousin had spoken from. Maddie now looked a lot different than she had just a few minutes ago. She was wearing a white and blue Victoria's Secret Pink hoodie, and a pair of dark capris. On her feet was a pair of gray Ed Hardy sneakers. (**A/N:** Picture of outfit on profile!) Maddie's makeup was done a bit more than usual, but it just made her look even more stunning. Her hair was down and wavy, but her bangs were kept back with a little braid.

"You look gorgeous!" Bella gushed genuinely. Maddie smiled appreciatively, but then her smile faded and she looked a little weary.

"You mean you're not disappointed I'm going with… Jacob?" Maddie asked her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Nope," Bella replied with a fake smile. She turned, still smiling, and looked at her boyfriend. "Actually Edward and I were just talking about how cute you two are together." This statement caused Maddie to let out a squeal of excitement.

"Thanks Bella," she said as grabbed her white Michael Kors purse. Just then the doorbell rang and everyone in the kitchen seemed to look at each other awkwardly.

"Well… I guess I better get going now…" Maddie said as she turned on her heel and practically ran towards the door.

"Don't be out too late!" Bella called after her. "Don't forget, it's a school night! And call me if you need anything!" She finished.

"Jeez, thanks mom," Maddie teased as she approached the door. When she finally mustered up enough courage to open the door, she was shocked with what she saw. Jacob Black stood on the doorstep in the light drizzle. He was dressed in a dark hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. The white was startling in comparison to the dark skin of his neck. He wore shorts, khaki cargo shorts to be exact, despite the fact the temperature barely reached to 40 degree mark. On his feet was a pair of plain white Nikes. (A/N: Picture of Jacob's outfit on profile!)

"Hey," Jacob said smiling as he stuffed his hands deep in to his pockets. He was clearly glad to see Maddie, who now smiled back. "Ready to go?" Jacob asked her semi-awkwardly as he gestured to his truck.

Shortly after Billy had sold their old truck to Charlie, he'd decided that they should invest in a new one, so he had gone out and bought a red 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT. Unlike some of the cars in Forks, this one was actually decent. It wasn't old, but not nearly as flashy as anything the Cullen's drove. Jacob had actually been surprised when Billy told him he was going to buy a new truck, but then again Jacob's dad saw it as an investment. If this one lasted half as long as the other one, then it'd be more than worth it.

"Yeah," Maddie said as she looked hesitantly back at the house, "I'm ready." She told Jacob. Maddie followed him back to his truck where Jake, being a gentleman, opened her door for her. He waited until she was in, before shutting his door and walking around to his door.

The drive into town was short, and after about 15 minutes Jacob pulled into a parking lot in front of a few shops.

"I figured maybe we could just walk around a bit? Grab a coffee or something…" A hint of nervousness in Jacob's voice was easily covered by his hopeful tone.

"That sounds nice," Maddie told him honestly.

"Great," Jacob replied.

The pair made their way through the small downtown easily. Finally, after about an hour the temperature began to drop, and they decided to head towards the only decent coffee shop in town. Jacob ordered a black coffee and Maddie got a hot chocolate, which of course Jacob insisted on paying for. It wasn't very crowded, so they were able to find a nice table just to sit and talk.

"So why'd you leave behind Wisconsin?" Jacob asked curiously while he took a sip of his coffee. Maddie looked down, rolling her cup between her hands before answering.

"It was my dad," she answered. "He passed away from in a car accident." Jacob was truly saddened when he saw Maddie's face.

"Oh Maddie," he told her, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," she replied while trying to fight the tears that had become so inevitable in the past few weeks. "It was just really sudden is all," Maddie explained. "He was driving home from work one day and had a stroke, swerved off the road and wrapped around a tree." Jake didn't know how to respond to this, as he'd never been very good at the whole comfort thing.

"What about your mom?" Jacob wondered aloud.

"She died of Leukemia when I was really little," Maddie was able to explain the death of her mother much easier, as it was something she'd been doing all her life.

"Maddie I'm sorry, I had no idea…" Jacob tried to reason with her, but she cut him off.

"Jacob it's okay, really. I wanted to tell you," she confessed. "You're the first person I've told since I've moved here." Maddie's statement was able to make Jacob a little more hopeful. He just wanted Maddie to be able to trust him with anything.

"You can tell me whatever you want, I'm here for you," he told her honestly.

"Thanks Jacob, it seems like I'm finally making a good friend around here," she joked. Jacob mentally cringed at the word 'friend,' secretly wishing that they'd soon be more. Maddie was about to say something when she heard someone call her from across the coffee shop.

"Maddie," a familiar voice demanded. She turned around and came face to face with the last person she had been hoping to see, Jarrett. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He offered while giving Jacob a dirty look.

"Uhh sure," she told him, dreading what she knew this conversation was going to be about. "I'll just be right back," she said to Jacob.

"Yeah, go ahead," Jake replied while keeping his eyes locked on Jarrett. Maddie rose uneasily and followed Jarrett outside, passing some familiar faces on the way out. She could only assume those were the people whom Jarrett had arrived with.

Once outside, Jarrett led Maddie around towards the back parking lot, taking a few steps before angrily tuning around and facing Maddie.

"Who the hell is that?" Jarrett demanded through clenched teeth. Maddie was clearly annoyed by his actions and attitude, as he had no right to be acting possessive.

"A friend," Maddie replied casually. Jarrett was frustrated by her vague response, and his anger level only seemed to be rising.

"I thought you were busy tonight," he sneered.

"Uh yeah," she answered. "I'm busy right now. You know, with my friend," she responded.

"Give me his name," Jarrett demanded as he moved closer to Maddie.

"Look," she began, "I don't know who the heck you think you are, but you have no right to be treating me like this." She gave him a stern look and turned to go back inside.

"Like hell I do," Jarrett muttered as he grabbed Maddie's arm harshly. He pulled her back to where she'd been standing, closing the distance between them.

"Ow, Jarrett stop, you're hurting me," she begged, fear evident in her voice.

"Good, because…" Jarrett was cut off by someone calling his name from across the parking lot.

"Jarrett!" They called again. "Dude, we're going to miss the game if you don't hurry your ass up!" As the figure moved closer, Jarrett released his grip on Maddie's arm. Maddie was able to make out the person calling him now, and realized it was Reese.

"This conversation isn't over," Jarrett warned. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," he stated before turning and heading towards where Reese was now waiting with a few other people. Maddie stared after him until he disappeared into around the far side of the building, remembering that she had left Jacob inside waiting.

"Hey, sorry about that," she told Jake as she took her seat at the table once again. Jacob wasn't an expert at reading people, but he could easily tell Maddie was a bit shaken. Maybe it was the imprinting connection thing, but he could tell something was bothering her.

"What was that about?" Jacob asked hoping she answer honestly.

"Oh he just had a few questions about geometry," she replied hoping Jacob would fall for her small lie. It was obvious that he didn't buy it one bit, and Maddie mentally kicked herself for not telling him the truth. She'd always been good at lying, it was something that came easily. Whether it was a homework excuse or something more, anyone would believe her. But with Jacob, it was like all she wanted to do was tell him the truth… The truth about everything.

"Geometry, huh? So you know him pretty well then?" Jake asked, trying to draw information out of her.

"Yeah not really," she told him, "I just met him for the first time today." Maddie shifted uncomfortably in her chair and wished Jacob would stop asking her about Jarrett.

The rest of their time together passed quickly and before either of them realized, it was past 9 pm. So Jacob unwillingly drove Maddie home, cursing the fact that it was a school night. When they got back to the Swan's house, Maddie was relieved to see Charlie wasn't home yet.

Jacob walked Maddie to the front door, but wasn't really sure what to do from there. He couldn't kiss her yet, no matter how badly he wanted to. Luckily for him, Maddie was able to handle the situation without making it awkward, and Jacob was on his way home after a hug and an exchange of 'goodnights.'

Maybe it was just his imagination, or perhaps wishful thinking, but on his drive home Jacob couldn't help but recall the way they had hugged, both seeming to pull away from each other involuntarily. And the way she had let her gaze linger on him, studying the features of his face.

_Yep, definitely wishful thinking. _Jacob thought to himself with a laugh. But laying in bed that night, he found it especially hard to fall asleep. He remained awake for endless hours, simply staring at the ceiling, and thinking about Maddie. Until eventually, he drifted into a peaceful slumber, pictures of Maddie still playing in his mind.

Maddie's night, however, was not nearly as peaceful as Jacob's. She had decided to finish some of her homework before getting ready for bed. What she wasn't prepared for was the massive questioning attack Bella ambushed her with. "What did you do? Was he nice to you? Where did you go? What did you talk about? Do you want to go out with him again? Do you like him?" With Bella, the questions never seemed to end. But Maddie eventually succumbed to Bella's wishes, and answered all of her questions.

Yes, she did have fun with Jacob. No, they didn't kiss. Yes, she did want to see him again. No, they hadn't set up another date. And most importantly, yes, she was starting to like him… A lot.

When finally Bella let up on her escapade, Maddie was relieved to finally have some quiet time to herself, even if it was spent doing her homework. She was able to think a lot about what was happening in her life. It didn't seem realistic that just a few weeks ago she'd packed up and left behind another life, without so much as a "goodbye," to most of her friends. And then she came to Forks, where she met Jacob.

She really had never felt that way about a boy before. Of course, she'd dated more than a few. There was Trent, Lucas, Kevin, Ryan and most recently, Eli. But there was something more about Jake. She'd always had feelings for each of her boyfriends, but nothing like what she felt when she was with Jacob.

Maddie's cell phone rang and she groaned when she saw the caller id.

"Hello?" She answered tiredly.

_"Hey Maddie, I haven't talked to you in a few days,"_ Elijah's familiar voice rang out from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah sorry, I've just been really busy with everything," she told him_._

"_Well, I was just calling to tell you we all miss you a bunch, especially me," _he added.

"Yeah, I miss everyone there too. Even you Eli, but that still doesn't change what happened between us," Maddie reminded him. She'd broken up with him just before she left, but she wasn't even really sure if he'd gotten the idea or not. It wasn't exactly like she stuck around to see the results.

_"I know that," _he said,_ "but it doesn't mean I have to stop caring about you and being here for you Maddie."_

"Thanks Elijah. Look it's late here so I have to go…" She said, hoping he'd get the picture.

_"Oh okay,"_ he responded. Then the line went silent for a few beats before Elijah said anything else_. "Maddie can you do a favor for me?"_

"Yeah Eli, anything," Maddie answered.

_"You have to promise me that you'll take care of yourself," _he explained.

"I will," she told him.

_"But you have to promise it,"_ he reminded her, sounding like a little kid.

"Okay Eli, I promise," Maddie replied, hoping that'd be enough.

_"And you're coming home to visit soon, right? Like maybe spring break_?" He asked sounding hopeful. Maddie thought hard, looking at her mental calendar. Spring break was about 7 weeks away. Maybe visiting home would be nice, just what she needed.

"Of course," she said smiling. It was good to have a sense of familiarity, knowing that the people in her past life still cared for her.

_"Goodnight Mads," _Eli said.

"Bye," she told him before hanging up the phone.

Maddie returned to her homework, but had a hard time concentrating. Her thoughts were drifting to a familiar place, a place she once called home. But even more often, she found her thoughts drifting to Jacob. She didn't mind though, but it worried her a little bit. How could she like someone so much, but know them so little? How long had she known him for? A day? Two days? She shook her head, and promised herself that she would not fall for Jacob, unless he happened to fall for her first. Obviously, she'd never heard the saying 'promises are meant to be broken.'

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**A/N:** Again, I'm so sorry for the update! Hope you all liked it, more to come soon! Including more Jacob, more Jacob, more Jacob, and more drama… Lol. Take care, Brody.


	7. Out of the Shadows

**A/N:** Okay, so first off sorry for the wait. And secondly, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I've got a lot of excuses, but it's mostly just been me procrastinating everything! But I've already started working on the next update :) But yeah. Sorry these first like gazillion chapters haven't been very exciting... But soon enough things will be getting very hectic.. :) Thanks for reading, Brody

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Out of the Shadows By: Matthew Perryman Jones

_Silence keeps the story straight  
Fighting for the perfect state  
Wave your flag. Oh, I believe  
Hope is comfort, if not relief _

_Don't let go, don't let go  
We can crawl out  
Out of the shadows  
Don't let go, Don't let go  
__We can find our way back home_

_There's a heart that still can beat  
With every breath that's inside me  
Find the spark that's buried deep  
It won't go out, so please…_

"**Love is like water. We can fall in it. We can drown in it. And we can't live without it." - Unknown**

x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x

"Maddie, let's go it's time to wake up," Bella said shaking her cousin. It was definitely unusual for Maddie to sleep past 6:30 am, but Bella figured her date with Jacob last night must have exhausted her.

"Five more minutes," Maddie groaned as she pulled her fleece blanket over her head. She rolled over to face away from Bella, but Chowder jumped up on the couch. "Bad dog, get off the furniture," Maddie said scolding him half-heartedly. She knew it was useless to fight waking up, so she eventually gave in and sat up.

"Morning sleepyhead," Bella said cheerfully from the kitchen. Maddie mumbled something that her cousin couldn't quite make out, and stormed up the stairs. Bella had to laugh a little at her attitude. After all, it was only her second day of school and she was already having a hard time waking up.

Maddie appeared a few minutes later, dressed and ready for school. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she wore jeans, a hoody and flip-flops, but still managed to look cute. Her bag was slung over one shoulder, and she gave Bella a deathly glare as she retrieved a yogurt from the fridge.

"Well aren't we just a little ray of sunshine this morning," Bella joked. Maddie tried to fight her smile, but it managed to show anyways.

"Whatever," Maddie replied as she headed out to the truck. Bella rolled her eyes and followed her cousin out.

By the time they arrived at school, the lot was about half full. Maddie groaned internally at the thought of the whole school day she had ahead of her. Eventually, she was able to make her way into the building and towards her locker.

That was when she saw him. He was leaning up against her locker, but facing the other way. Maybe he's at the next locker over, Maddie thought to herself. But that thought was pushed aside as soon as she got a little bit closer. Nope. Jarrett was definitely waiting at her locker. She was about to turn and head the other direction, but he turned around and saw her. She had no choice at that point, and made her way towards him.

"Hey," he said in a calm voice as she started doing her locker combination.

"Hey," she replied without looking at him. There was an awkward moment of silence as Maddie shuffled some books and folders between her locker and her bag, but it was eventually broken by Jarrett.

"Look," he began. "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted yesterday, it was totally uncalled for," he admitted sheepishly. Maddie looked up at him, slightly taken aback by his statement. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when he held up his hand.

"I was just kind-of hoping we could put that behind us and still be friends?" He asked in a genuinely friendly tone. Maddie contemplated his words for a moment before responding.

"That sounds like a great idea," she finally told him. "And I forgive you," she added with a polite smile which caused Jarrett to smile back.

"Great," he replied. "So I'll see you in class then," he told her as he turned and ran off before she had a chance to say anything else.

"Sure," she mumbled to herself as she bent to pick up some of her books. She was just about to shut her locker when she saw someone else familiar approaching.

"Hey Maddie!" Cam exclaimed as she waved from across the hallway. Maddie waved back to be polite, after all, Cam had been nothing but nice to her.

"Are you going to sit with us at lunch today?" Cam asked as she was walking away. Maddie instantly thought back to the conversation she'd just had with Jarrett, and decided that maybe he really was sorry.

"Of course!" Maddie called back just as Cam disappeared down the hallway. Maddie turned her attention back towards her locker and her books, internally dreading her 1st hour class. Geometry was just something she couldn't understand no matter how hard she tried. She felt like going home, but then the bell rang. Maddie looked around the hallway to see that it was almost empty and quickly gathered her books.

"Nice of you to join us today Miss Swan," Ms. Genke remarked as Maddie tried unsuccessfully to slip into the classroom without her teacher noticing.

"Sorry," she said politely.

"It's alright," the teacher replied without sympathy, "just go and take your seat so we can get started." Maddie made her way back to the desk she'd sat in the day before. No sooner had she sat down that Jarrett leaned over and whispered something to her.

"Most people try not to make it onto the teacher's shit-list their first week of school," he joked with a smile.

"It was an accident, honestly," she told him laughing. He simply shrugged and sat back in his chair.

The class period passed quickly, with Maddie actually understanding half of what Ms. Genke was covering. The bell rang and Maddie shoved some papers into her bag before standing up to leave. She'd almost made it to the door when she heard Jarrett's voice from behind her.

"Swan, wait up!" He called. Maddie stopped by the door letting a couple of other students pass her until finally Jarrett caught up.

"Where's the fire?" He asked jokingly as they made their way out into the hallway. Maddie just laughed a little, she liked the new and improved Jarrett a lot better.

"Hey guys," Cam said joining Jarrett and Maddie.

"Hey Cam," Jarrett said. "So are we still good for this weekend, or what?" he asked. Cam smiled a devious smile as she looked between Maddie, Jarrett, and Lexi, who'd just joined them.

"Yeah," she told them. "My mom's going to visit my aunt in Chicago, so she won't be home until Tuesday," Cam explained.

"So basically, get the word out," Lexi added with a small laugh. "Party at Cam's on Saturday night."

"You'll be there, right Maddie?" Cam asked hopeful.

"Only if you really want me to be there," Maddie joked.

"Well of course," Cam replied. "Some of my friends are dying to meet you." Maddie scoffed at the second little part Cam had added in.

"Meet me? Why?" Maddie asked bluntly.

"Well," Jenni answered, "you're kind of like the new school hottie." Maddie laughed a little more and shook her head.

"Whatever you guys say…" Maddie joked rolling her eyes. Just then she spotted Bella grabbing some books out of what Maddie assumed was her locker. "Hey, I gotta go, but I'll see you guys later," Maddie explained.

"Lunch, right?" Lexi asked.

"Yeah, lunch for sure!" Maddie called back to her friends as she made her way across the hallway. Bella was busy digging through her locker in search of something, so she didn't even notice Maddie come up behind her.

"Hey Bella, long time no see," Maddie told her older cousin. Bella had not known there was anyone by her, and was startled by Maddie's voice.

"Jeez kid, you scared the crap out of me!" Bella exclaimed while clutching her books.

"Oops, sorry," Maddie said with an innocent smile. "Only not really," she added. Bella just shook her head and tried to keep a straight face.

"Fine then, I guess you don't want the really really super important piece of information I was going to tell you…" Bella teased her younger cousin.

"Fine then, I guess not," Maddie shot back in a joking tone.

"You know that's just too bad… Considering it had to do with Jacob… But you know since you don't care and all…" Bella said nonchalantly. Maddie was momentarily stunned just by the mentioning of Jake's name.

"Wha-what?" She asked, practically speechless. "It has to do with Jacob?" Maddie sounded slightly dumbfounded.

"Yeah, but never mind," Bella told her.

"Puhh-leeze Bella! I want to know!" Maddie begged.

"Fine," Bella agreed laughing. "He was texting me earlier before school, and he was kind-of casually asking what you said about last night. And if you might possibly be interested in seeing him again."

"Really?!" Maddie sounded genuinely excited. "Ohmigosh, I never even thanked him for last night! He probably thinks that I hate him and never want to see him again," she groaned while leaning against the row of lockers.

"Whoa, chill out Maddie. I'm sure it's not that extreme. At the most he probably just thinks you're inconsiderate and have no manners," a horrified look appeared on Maddie's face as Bella added "Relax! I'm just kidding."

"Phew, okay I guess I can just text him next hour then!" Maddie said going from a state of happiness, to dread, then right back to happiness.

"Sure, do whatever you want to," Bella said rolling her eyes. "I don't know about you, but I really don't feel like being late to next hour."

"Oh no!" Maddie exclaimed as she saw the time and finally began to hurry off towards her 2nd hour class.

Maddie was barely able to make it through her next few classes without falling asleep. The only thing keeping her awake was the fact that her and Jacob had been texting each other nonstop since Bella talked to Maddie earlier that morning.

It was just little stuff, nothing important really. But by the time Maddie headed to the lunchroom, she'd agreed to go out with Jacob again that night. She was really excited about it, but also kind-of nervous.

As soon as she entered the lunchroom, she heard Cam call her name. "Hey Maddie, over here!" She exclaimed, her hand waving high in the air. Maddie walked over to the table where Cam was at, grateful that there were at least a few people she recognized.

"Everyone, this is Maddie," Cam said as she sat down, moving some books so Maddie could sit next to her. "And Maddie this is Alex, Caleb, Riah, Jenni, Carey, Ian, Parker, Evan and Roy," Cam said pointing to all the people Maddie didn't know. The rest of the table consisted of people Maddie had already been introduced to, like Lexi, and all Jarrett's friends on the first day of school.

_Jarrett,_ Maddie thought as she looked around and realized he was missing from the table. Of course before she had a chance to ask about it, he had already appeared and was sliding into the only open seat at the table, which was across from Maddie.

"Hey," he said nicely as he flashed a smile. Maddie couldn't help but smile back, she was still really impressed with the way Jarrett had changed.

Lunch passed much quicker than Maddie had thought it would, but she was having a really good time. She was actually disappointed when everyone stood up to throw away their garbage.

"Hey, can I walk you to your next class?" Jarrett asked hopeful.

"Sure, it's gym, so you don't have to if it's too far," she told him.

"Nope, it's okay. I have gym too actually," Jarrett informed her. Maddie walked next to Jarrett all the way to the girl's locker room door, where they finally said their goodbyes. Maddie changed quickly before heading up to the main gym. She sat down in her attendance spot and waited for class to begin.

Eventually other students made their way to the main gym until finally the bell rang, signaling the start of class. Maddie's gym teacher, Mr. Jacobsen, stood in front of the class and clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

"Okay you guys, today we're going to play soccer with Mr. Roberts class," he told the group of unexcited sophomores. "Sophomore boys are on a team with the junior and senior girls, so go grab some pennies. Sophomore girls, you guys are with the junior and senior boys, so go line up." The group dispersed, some going to get jerseys, and others going to meet up with the rest of their teammates.

"Hey Maddie, looks like we're on a team together," came a familiar voice. Maddie turned around to see Jarrett standing next to another boy whose name she couldn't remember.

"Looks like it," she said with a friendly smile.

"Alright everyone, let's stop standing around," came Mr. Roberts' booming voice. He wasn't generally a big man…. He was huge. About the size of a freight train, and it was only fitting that he coached the Forks High School football team.

Maddie walked towards the side where some of her classmates were standing and met up with the rest of her team. Some burly blonde hair kid took charge and immediately started pointing at people and calling out positions. Maddie was happy when he pointed to her and shouted out "striker," which is what she usually played.

Both teams lined up and one of the teachers blew his whistle, signaling the start of the game. Immediately Maddie was able to take over, and with a little help from some of her teammates, they were able to win 11 – 3. Of course, Maddie scored 8 of the 11 goals. The classes had just been dismissed and were heading to the locker rooms when Maddie's teacher called her name.

"Swan!" He yelled from across the gym. She walked over towards where he was waiting for her and smiled politely. He then proceeded to tell her about how she should try out for the soccer team the following week (something she'd already had marked on her calendar since the day she moved) and some other nonsense, none of which she was actually paying attention to. She was just eager to change and get home… Knowing that she was seeing Jacob again.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Bella's truck chugged up the driveway of the Swan's house. Maddie practically jumped out of the car before Bella was able to put it into park.

"Jeez Maddie, if you're not careful you're really going to hurt yourself," Bella said laughing as she followed her younger cousin into the house.

"Trust me, it'll be worth it!" Maddie joked as she ran up the stairs to go and finish her homework as she waited for a call from Jacob.

It was exactly 6:02 pm and 24 seconds when that call came… Maddie would know, after all, she had been staring at the clock for the past half hour waiting for it.

She was so excited that when she ended the call on her cell phone she actually had to let out a scream at the top of her lungs. Bella, who had been downstairs making dinner, was so alarmed that she dropped the measuring cup she had been holding. At least it was just plastic. Bella was about to go upstairs and see what happened to Maddie, but she didn't get the chance when Maddie came down the stairs.

"I've got a date with Jacob!" Maddie informed her excitedly. Bella just laughed, shook her head, and went back to draining the pasta noodles.

"You are seriously ridiculous," Bella told her cousin with a smile on her face.

"Ew yuck!" Maddie suddenly exclaimed from the other side of the kitchen. Bella turned just in time to catch the disgusted look on her face.

"What is it?" Bella asked, slightly concerned.

"I look hideous!" Maddie complained, genuinely appalled. This caused Bella to roll her eyes and laugh at her cousin.

"Honestly, I don't think Jacob would care if you showed up wearing a garbage bag." Bella knew Maddie wouldn't know just how honest she really was. Bella also knew that Jacob would always love her, regardless of how good or bad she looked on a particular day. This realization resulted in a little pang of jealously towards her younger cousin. If only she knew how great she really did have it… After all, she had a guy who already loved her more than anything else in the world, and always would. Even if she didn't know it yet, she'd know one day. Then Bella realized that she had this too. She had Edward.

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**A/N:** Once again, thanks for reading! More to come soon, I promise! -Bam


	8. Hands Down

**A/N:** Here is another chapter... Drop me a review to let me know how I'm doing! Hope you guys like this one... Bam

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Hands Down By: Dashboard Confessional

_Breathe in for luck  
Breathe in so deep  
This air is blessed  
You share with me  
This night is wild  
So calm and dull  
These hearts, they race  
From self-control  
Your legs are smooth  
As they graze mine  
We're doing fine  
We're doing nothing at all_

My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me  
So won't you kill me  
So I die happy  
My heart is yours to fill or burst  
To break or bury  
Or wear as jewelry  
Whichever you prefer

"**We are always getting ready to live, but never living." –Waldo Ralph Emerson**

* * *

Maddie was a little nervous when Charlie arrived home. He was greeted at the door by Chowder, while Maddie and Bella both hung back in the kitchen. This was the conversation Maddie had been dreading having with Charlie, but Bella assured her it would be okay. Maddie's dad had never really cared much about her boyfriends, but it was mostly because he never really met many of them. Her dad was always gone away on business trips, and Maddie was more than fine with staying with her nanny, Camille, who she had known her whole life.

But that lifestyle suited Maddie and her father just perfectly. In fact, she honestly couldn't have thought of a better situation. There was a part of her that always believed that them being apart so much was actually what kept them together. After her mother died, Maddie's father started taking more and more time away from home, it was just his way of dealing with everything.

Despite the enormous distances that were often between them, Jeffery Swan and his daughter were remarkably close. But she never really mentioned any crushes or boyfriends to her dad, mainly because they'd be gone before he would even return from a business trip. Of her boyfriends that he did meet, her dad absolutely adored Elijah. Jeffery often bragged about how great his daughter's boyfriend was, while other dads were busy complaining about how their daughter had snuck out again to be with her boyfriend. He talked about Eli like he put stars in the sky, and Maddie only hoped that Charlie would feel the same was about Jacob.

"So dad," Bella said as she set a few bowls of food down on the table. "How was work?" Charlie was busy fiddling with the laces on his boots to face Bella. So instead he responded in a mumble, something that came out like "ohhitwasgudd."

"I've got a date with Jacob Black tonight," Maddie said blurting out the information bluntly. Her face immediately became flushed and red, that was definitely not the way she pictured breaking the news to her uncle.

"On a school night?" Charlie asked only slightly interested as he shoveled more food into his mouth. He picked up his glass of water, still waiting for Maddie to answer.

"Uhh yeah," Maddie stammered, slightly surprised that he was handling the situation so well. She just kind of looked between Charlie and Bella for a minute. "We don't have any homework or anything," Maddie said. Of course she was lying through her teeth. She had more homework than she'd be able to do, coming into a new school during the middle of second semester wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do.

"Okay, just don't be out to late," Charlie said as he continued to eat his dinner. Maddie stared at her uncle, a look of disbelief on her face.

"That's all?" She asked still mystified. She didn't think it would be this easy.

"Yeah," Charlie told her. "Jacob's a good boy, he won't go around causing any trouble," he explained.

Maddie was relieved that Charlie obviously liked Jacob. She knew it would make things run much smoother for everyone. After dinner she went upstairs to get ready, this time she wasn't as worried about what she was going to wear. After a few short minutes of deliberation she chose a pair of dark jeans, a red plaid shirt, a braided belt, a Tiffany&Co bracelet, and a pair of Ed Hardy sneakers. (**A/N:** Picture on profile!)

"Wow you look good!" Bella exclaimed as she saw her younger cousin come down the stairs. Maddie stopped at the bottom of the stairs and did a little model pose.

"Why thank you," she joked. Maddie made her way towards the kitchen table where she had left her cell phone and purse. Her heart skipped a few beats when she checked the time and saw that Jacob would be there any minute. She started getting nervous, but it was the excited kind of nervous. She was freaking out mentally when she felt someone tapping her.

"Maddie!" Bella exclaimed. "Did you hear me? I said the doorbell just rang, I think it's probably Jake."

"Oh right!" Maddie said excitedly. She practically ran to the door, causing Bella to try and stifle the laughter that was escaping. Maddie got to the door and opened it to find Jacob standing on the doorstep.

"Hey," he said as he saw Maddie. Maddie smiled back slyly.

"Hey," she replied back. "I'm just going to grab my jacket, I'll be right back," Maddie informed Jacob.

"Okay, cool," Jacob told her. "I'll just wait for you here then." Maddie turned around and headed back towards the kitchen, where she retrieved her purse and cell phone off the table. She waved goodbye to Bella on her way out.

"Have fun!" Bella whispered carefully. Maddie had to mentally focus on how fast she was walking back to the front door. After all, she didn't want to appear too desperate.

Once she and Jacob were outside, he walked her to the truck, opening the door for her the way he had done before. It wasn't until Jacob was in the driver's seat, engine running, that Maddie spoke again.

"Where to?" She asked curiously. She hadn't really realized that Jacob didn't tell her exactly what they'd be doing. Maddie's question caused a grin to erupt on Jacob's face, as if her was laughing at some inside joke.

"Well actually, I kind of already have something in mind…" He told her. "But it's a surprise." Jake added as his smile doubled in size. Maddie smiled back. She usually didn't like waiting to be surprised, but she saw how excited Jacob was about what he had planned, so she just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Which was really easy with Jacob. The conversation just flowed naturally between them, like they had known each other their whole lives. They exchanged random questions, laughing at each other's answers.

"Favorite color?" Jacob asked.

"Orange," Maddie replied without hesitation. "What about you?"

"Blue," he told her keeping his eyes on the road. It was Maddie's turn to ask a question, but she found herself staring at Jacob, unable to think clearly.

He was so handsome. The way his bicep muscle flexed under his shirt every time he altered the steering wheel, his dark tan skin tone. But mostly his eyes. So mesmerizing that just one glimpse of them could cause Maddie to lose her entire train of thought. Of course that was something that happened a lot around him, just as it was happening to her right then.

"Um… your turn," Jake said, pretending to be annoyed. Maddie laughed and looked out her window a moment before turning back with a question.

"Middle name?" She asked him.

"William," Jacob replied automatically. "Yours?"

"Justine," she told him.

And that was just how their car ride continued for a while. Maddie wasn't really sure where they were going, until she was able to make out some semi-familiar buildings. Like "Walt's Diner," and the Zip Quick gas station. She recognized more and more of the buildings, until she realized they were in downtown Forks. Jacob maneuvered the truck into a parking space outside the coffee shop where they had been the day before.

"Just a quick stop," Jacob assured her as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "I'll be back in a sec, okay?" He talked to her like he was leaving her in the middle of the jungle or something.

"Don't worry Jake, I don't think the parking lot is that dangerous," she joked.

"Haha," Jacob said in a fake laughter. "But really. Just try and stay put for like two minutes, alright? Don't like break anything or set anything on fire." He said laughing.

"Oh right, because that's just what I had in mind," Maddie said rolling her eyes.

"Well I never said it'd be on purpose. I mean, you are related to Bella Swan, who happens to be the clumsiest person I've ever met," Jacob teased. Maddie playfully punched him in the shoulder, rolling her eyes again.

"I'll be fine. Just go, unless you want to be stuck spending all night in the parking lot," Maddie told him. Jacob opened his door and stepped outside the truck.

"Okay, okay I'm going," he replied. "But for the record," he added thoughtfully, "I wouldn't mind being stuck anywhere with you." Before Maddie even had a chance to reply, Jake had already shut his door and was making his way towards the front entrance of the coffee shop.

After what seemed like just a few seconds, Jacob emerged from the coffee shop. He made his way to the truck, balancing one cup on top of the other to open his door.

"That was quick," Maddie told him as he handed her a cup. He saw her eye it cautiously and answered before she could ask what it was.

"Hot chocolate," he said. Maddie nodded approvingly and took a sip. "Don't drink it all now," Jake cautioned, "because you're going to want some later… And there's no way I'm sharing mine," he added. Maddie just laughed and rolled her eyes sarcastically.

"Oh you know you would," she teased. Jacob let out a chuckle.

"I wouldn't have much of a choice, now would I?" He teased. "Not that I'd mind of course…"

"Oh whatever," Maddie said slapping his arm playfully. "Let's just get a move on so I can make it home sometime this year."

"Jeez, already looking forward to going home, are you? Don't sound too eager, you'll hurt my feelings," Jacob said laughing.

"Well what can I say, you are pretty lame. I only agreed to go out with you because Bella paid me," Maddie said, trying to sound matter-of-factly without laughing. Which caused Jacob to feign hurt.

"Ouch," he said putting his hand on his chest. "Were you aiming for my heart? Because if you were… Bulls eye," he teased while putting the truck into reverse.

"Yep, that's exactly where I was aiming. Score one for the home team," Maddie commented, laughing.

Jacob and Maddie continued to joke and talk while Jacob drove. Maddie was so engrossed in their conversation, that she paid no attention to where they were headed. It came as a surprise when Jacob lead the truck off of the highway, and on to a unpaved road.

"Umm Captain?" Maddie joked. "The road's that way," she pointed back towards the way they had just come from.

By that time it was late enough that the sun had already set. She didn't know how Jacob was navigating the truck through the dense forest on a narrow path when she could barely even see five feet in front of the headlights.

Jacob didn't respond, instead he just kept driving the truck deeper and deeper into the woods. Maddie decided it was best to trust his judgment, he probably knew where he was going. "Probably" being the key word.

"I could map out these woods with my eyes closed," Jacob told her. Maddie could tell from the tone of his voice that he was only half joking.

"Why… Is that where you bury them?" Maddie asked.

"Bury what?" Jake questioned confused.

"The bodies of the people you kill…" She said. Both Maddie and Jacob started laughing, and Jacob shook his head. They continued driving for another minute until finally Jacob brought the truck to a stop.

"This is it," he said looking at Maddie to gauge her reaction. She was squinting trying to see out the window and into the blackness.

"This is what exactly?" She asked. Jacob had to laugh at how hopeless she sounded.

"Come on, I'll show you," he told her. Jake opened his door and stepped out into the cool night. Maddie did the same, silently praying that she wouldn't trip over some unforeseen rock and make a fool of herself. Fortunately for her, she didn't have much time to worry about it, as Jacob appeared in front of her.

"This way," he explained excitedly moving forward.

"Jake, slow down!" She practically begged. "Your legs are like twice the size of mine," Maddie reminded him. Jacob laughed, and slowed his pace down so Maddie could catch up.

"Here, maybe this would help," Jacob held his hand out to Maddie, who grabbed it and smiled.

"Yep, that definitely helped," she joked. Maddie was surprised at how warm Jacob's hand felt. It was the nice warm though, not the 'ouch just burned my hand on the toaster' warm. She decided that she liked it, his hand just felt right with hers.

They walked for a few minutes until they came to a clearing. Since it was still the end of February, there was some light snow on the grass. "This way," Jacob said pulling her along. He stopped at the base of a massive tree and then turned to Maddie.

"Wow a tree… Impressive," she said laughing. Jacob couldn't help but smile.

"No, look up," he told her. Maddie did as she was instructed, and it was then that she noticed the rope ladder that clung closely to the tree. As her eyes followed it up, they eventually met a large wooden tree house, complete with a roof and a window.

"Ladies first," Jacob said jokingly. Maddie pulled her hand away from Jacob's, and almost immediately regretted it. She grabbed the bottom of the ladder and began making her way up, glad that she'd at least chosen jeans and sneakers to wear. Out in the clearing where there were no trees, the wind was a lot harsher than it had been before, and Maddie subconsciously shivered. Something that Jake didn't fail to notice. He quickly pulled off his hooded sweatshirt, and gave it to Maddie.

"Here, wear this," he instructed her. Maddie let go of the ladder, and took the sweatshirt, thankful

"Thanks," she told him as she slipped it on. It was pretty big, but she was just happy that it was super toasty. She grabbed the rope ladder again, and began to climb.

When she finally made it to the top, she climbed inside the tree house and found that it was actually a lot bigger than she'd been expecting it to be. The walls were covered with paint that little kid's had obviously done, like handprints and other little drawings. When Jake finally made it inside as well, Maddie noticed that he could just barely stand without hitting his head. (**A/N: **Picture of tree house on profile)

"What is this?" She asked after a moment.

"Okay, so I know it doesn't look like much, but this," he said gesturing with his hands out, "is my favorite place in the world…. I mean, it's a lot cooler in the summer," he assured her. "But it's just a place where I like to come and think."

Maddie nodded and pulled out a chair from the corner. She sat down and continued looking around. Jacob followed suit and did the same thing.

"I'm sorry," he apologized after a minute, "this must make me look like such a nerd."

"No," Maddie said laughing. "I like it." She was still just looking around, taking in all the small details that she'd missed before.

"I actually used to have one just like it," she offered.

"Really?" Jake asked, surprised. "What happened to it?"

"I'm not really sure," she said thinking back. "My neighbor helped my dad build it in the woods, I guess it's still out there somewhere." Jacob was just glad to see that Maddie didn't think he was a complete weirdo.

"So your dad," Jacob began, "do you miss him?" Maddie looked out the window, taking notice of how you could see for miles, all the way to the beach at La Push.

"Everyday," she finally answered. That one word was enough for Jacob to see how much she really had cared about her father. "We fought a lot," Maddie said quietly. "But everyone always said it was because we were practically the same person."

"I know what that's like," Jacob said, thinking about how often he and Billy bumped heads. People had constantly told him it was because he was just as stubborn as his dad.

"What about your mom?" Jake questioned. He wasn't trying to be nosy or annoying, he just wanted to know everything there was to know about Maddie.

"I don't really remember her," Maddie said. "It was a long time ago. If it weren't for pictures, I probably wouldn't even know what she looked like." Maddie seemed less sad when she was talking about her mom, mostly just because that felt like a lifetime ago to her. Whereas losing her dad felt like it was just yesterday.

"What about your mom?" Maddie asked inquisitively. She realized that she'd never met a Mrs. Black, nor had anyone mentioned one.

"She left when I was still in diapers," Jacob explained, looking down at the floorboards.

"I'm sorry," Maddie told him. "That must have been hard for you and your sisters." Jacob sat for a moment before he spoke again.

"It was worse for my dad," Jacob told her. "I mean, I don't remember the first years so much, but I don't think he ever really got over it. Even now, you know? He has his good days and his bad days, but sometimes I'll come home and find him going through all the old pictures, and it just kills me because…"

"Because there's nothing you can do," Maddie said finishing for him. She knew what that was like a little too well. Her dad was the exact same way.

"Did you ever think about maybe finding her?" Maddie asked curiously. Jacob simply shook his head.

"If she didn't want us then, I'm sure she doesn't want us now. Besides, we're doing just fine without her. Well, my dad can't cook at all, but other than that," Jake explained with a small laugh.

"Sometimes it's better to be alone," Maddie offered, "that way no one can hurt you." Jacob thought about what she said for a moment.

"Yeah, but it's easier to go through life with someone at your side… Versus trying to do it all by yourself." Jacob added insightfully.

"But what if you don't find someone?" Maddie asked. Secretly, of course she'd never confess it to anyone, she was scared that she wouldn't find the right guy, and end up spending eternity alone.

"Everyone finds someone," Jake assured her, "it's just a matter of time. Who knows, you could have already met that person and just not realize it," he explained. _Like me,_ he thought. "Or you could meet them tomorrow," he added, trying to cover up for himself.

"What are you, like cupid or something?" Maddie joked.

"Nooo," Jacob answered, laughing. "I'm just a guy who believes in love, that's all."

"Well Mr. True Love and Romance, tell me, have you been in love?" Maddie asked. She was keeping the mood lighthearted, but she actually couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.

"No," Jake answered slightly disappointed. He wished he could just come out and tell her how he felt right then, but that would definitely be creepy. "What about you? You've had a couple of boyfriends… Ever love any of them?"

"Well," Maddie began, pausing to think. "I've loved all of them," she said, the smile of Jacob's face disappearing for just one second, "but I've never _been _in love with any of them." Maddie looked out the window, trying to find the right words. "See," she told him, "the way I see it is you can love a lot of people, but there's only ever going to be that one person that you fall in love with, that is, if you're lucky enough to find them. Who knows, you may not find them, and then you'll go your whole life without ever experiencing true love."

"That makes sense," Jacob replied.

Jacob and Maddie continued to talk for a long time, until Jacob checked his phone and saw that it was already 9:30 pm. He decided that they should probably start heading back, as the drive to Maddie's house was at least 25 minutes.

They climbed down the ladder one at a time, and once they reached the bottom Jacob took Maddie's hand in his own, intertwining their fingers once again as they walked back to Jacob's truck.

The ride back to the Swan's house was peaceful, filled with just the right amount of light talking. Maddie felt like she'd gotten to know Jacob a lot better, and Jake felt like Maddie was finally starting to warm up to him, something that he was extremely grateful for.

By the time that they arrived at Maddie's, almost all the lights in the house were out. Maddie knew that Charlie had probably already gone to sleep, because he had to be up early once again. Jacob walked Maddie to the front door, where they waited to say their goodbyes. Part of Maddie didn't want to say goodbye, she'd had such a nice time with Jacob, but she knew they couldn't put it off any longer.

"Thank you Jacob, for tonight, I had a really great time," Maddie said.

"Yeah, of course," Jake told her, looking slightly distracted. Maddie gave him a few seconds to collect his thoughts, because she could tell from the look on his face that he had something else to say.

"Maddie," he said looking into her eyes, "I really like you, and I like being around you… I'm not really good at doing this… But will you be my girlfriend?" Jacob asked. The look in his eyes was so sincere and hopeful, that even if Maddie wanted to say no, she wouldn't have been able to.

"I'd love to," she told him with a smile. Jacob and Maddie looked at each other for a moment, before he started to lean in.

When Jacob kissed Maddie, it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It wasn't a really passionate or lustful kiss, but it was perfect. It was as if time ceased and nothing mattered. When they finally pulled away from each other, she felt a little light headed.

"Goodnight," Jacob said as he flashed her a brilliant, breathtaking smile.

"Goodnight," Maddie replied. Jake turned and began to walk off towards his truck.

"Jacob?" Maddie called after him. He spun around to face her once again, only this time he was half way to the driveway. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say, or even why she'd called him, so she had to think fast.

"Your sweatshirt?" She asked, remembering that she was wearing it.

"Why don't you hold on to it," he told her, smiling again. Jake began walking again, and Maddie opened the front door and went inside the house, where she finally realized what had just happened. She was about to let out a scream of excitement when Bella appeared with Edward close in tow.

"So what happened?" Bella asked.

"Bella!" Maddie exclaimed. "You're not going to believe it! He kissed me! Jacob Black kissed me!" She was trying hard not to shout, and wake up Charlie.

"Really?" Bella questioned. "That's great."

"And he asked me to be his girlfriend!" Maddie said squealing in a high pitched voice. Edward made a face and covered his ears in a joking fashion. Before Bella could even reply, Maddie began dancing around the entire kitchen.

Meanwhile, Jacob was driving home. He could not believe what had happened, it felt as if he were the luckiest guy in the world. Jake couldn't help but smile, because for the first time in a long time, things actually were starting to look up.

* * *

**A/N:** There you guys go! Hope you like it :) Yeah, I don't really have much to say… But.. Enjoy! And review to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks for reading, Bam.


	9. Bless The Broken Road

**A/N:** Sorry, I actually meant to get this one out there a few days ago, but I went out of town and my dumb laptop wouldn't connect to the internet! Ahh. Anyways, here you go. Hope you like it! -Bam

* * *

Bless The Broken Road By: Rascal Flatts

_I set out on a narrow way, many years ago  
Hoping I would find true love, along the broken road  
But I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushing through  
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you_

_Every long lost dream, led me to where you are  
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars  
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms  
This much I know is true  
That God blessed the broken road  
That led me straight to you_

**"In one moment your entire life can change course. The moment you decide where you're going, because you refuse to go back to where you've been." – Barbra Rose**

* * *

Since the day Jacob Black had asked Maddie to be his girlfriend, her life had been moving in fast forward. It just seemed like one good thing after another. She'd made the Forks High School Varsity Soccer team; she was even the number one striker on the team. As if that wasn't good enough, the team was undefeated so far. Maddie had been able to fly home and visit with her friends, but it was only for a weekend. And as it turned out, Jacob was actually a pretty good student, and was able to help Maddie keep her chemistry and geometry grades up.

She was even beginning to become very good friends with the kids from school, mostly Cam, who'd recently started dating Cole, which meant that Cam dragged Maddie and Jacob on their fare share of double dates. Things with Jarrett had finally cooled off completely, and she was starting to like having him around as a friend. But for some reason, he'd been recently withdrawn. Come to think of it, it had started around the time that everyone found out about Maddie and Jacob. But Maddie hadn't really noticed so much, because there was a lot going on in her life.

Maddie had even gotten rather close the boys of La Push. Of course, their harsh pranks on her got out of hand everyone in a while, which resulted in Jacob threatening, and very rarely following through, to "kick their asses." But all in all, Embry, Quil, Jared and Seth just couldn't get enough of Maddie. They constantly pestered Jacob to invite her over.

So if everything in Maddie's life was going so good, why couldn't she just sit back and lose it? Because she knew better than that. Throughout her life, she'd learn that things can only be good for so long, and just when you let your guard down, something bad was bound to happen.

Jacob, on the other hand, was on cloud nine. Never in his entire life had he experienced so much happiness in such a short amount of time, two and a half months to be exact. It seemed like every day he spent with Maddie made him realize that she really was the perfect girl, and the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. For most of his teenage years, Jacob watched the people around him, who he'd grown up with, all imprint. Quil had Claire, Jared and Kim, Sam and Emily, and the list kept growing.

There had been a point in his life, when Jacob had little hope for finding his imprint. That point occurred shortly after Bella met Edward, which was when Jacob had a huge crush on her. And it'd killed him to lose her like that. But once he'd met Maddie, it was as if everything in his life sort-of fell into place.

Things for the Pack were pretty quiet as well. Since the attack of Victoria, things had calmed down quite a bit. They'd even recently gained two new members, Owen and Stephen Malcolm, twins who lived down on the reservation. Their father had been good friends with Billy Black once upon a time, so Jacob was pretty familiar with them, and that made the whole transition a lot smoother.

The whole 'werewolf-imprinting' situation was one that Jacob still hadn't mentioned to Maddie. And to be honest, he liked it that way. He liked the sense of normalcy she brought to his life. He wasn't able to shake his Pack duties though, which meant that he had to disappear at random hours of the day for untold amounts of time.

School was winding down, as were all events in Forks, and the weather was starting to warm up. Which meant more cookouts and parties down on the Reservation. Summer was just around the corner, and everyone could feel it.

Bella and Edward were as strong as ever. And even Charlie was finally getting used to the idea of Bella and Edward… Together. He'd always liked Edward, he thought he was a good kid who had his head on straight, and obviously he'd always loved Bella, but he'd never really been too fond of the idea of them together, until very recently. It was probably something to do with the 'Charlie and Rene young love fail' and that's why he was weary of their relationship. He'd actually even allowed Edward to be inside a few times while he wasn't home. A few times that is, despite the fact that Edward was probably in that house more often than Charlie was… With or without Mr. Swan's permission.

Charlie Swan was the same old man he'd always been. He had his schedule down pat. He worked, he slept, he fished, he ate, and then he slept some more. But he had always been that quiet, reserved figure. Maddie and Bella were perfectly content with that, as they had no problems leading their own lives, and Charlie respected that, as long as they didn't go along wreaking havoc upon the town of Forks.

So as it seemed, everyone was pretty content with life in the upper peninsula of Washington. There'd been no serious drama, vampire attacks, scandals or surprises, which could only mean one thing… Something was going to happen soon.

"Maddie, I dare you to eat this worm!" Quil held up a squirming pink worm. The La Push boys had recently taken up the habit of fishing off the Clearwater's old dock. Since it was a relatively sunny day, they all went out to try and catch something. Quil was in charge of baiting the hooks, which wasn't exactly the best idea. It wasn't that warm outside yet, but somehow all the boys were wearing t-shirts and shorts, while Maddie was still cold in jeans and a jacket.

"Ew!" She exclaimed, pushing the wiggling worm out of her face. All the boys started laughing at her, until they were interrupted by someone calling from up in the Clearwater's yard.

"Maddie!" Jacob exclaimed as he made his way through the lawn. "Let's go, Charlie's going to murder me if you're not home in time for dinner," he told her. It was true, Charlie might not have minded Jacob and Maddie dating, but nothing bothered him more than when her or Bella failed to show up for dinner.

Maddie said goodbye to the boys, and walked up to meet Jacob at the top of the driveway. "I thought you'd left me," she joked as she got closer to him.

"Yeah, like that would ever happen," Jacob said sarcastically as he grabbed her hand. The two of them made their way the street where Jake's truck was parked. Jacob opened Maddie's door for her, before making it around to the driver's door. Once he was inside he turned the key in the ignition and the truck rumbled to life.

"Turn on the heat!" Maddie said with a laugh while rubbing her hands together. Jacob just laughed and shook his head.

"I swear, you'd get hypothermia in 90 degree weather," he teased. Maddie opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by her cell phone, which had started vibrating in the cup holder. She picked it up and saw that the screen read "CATE – HOME."

_She probably lost her phone again,_ Maddie thought to herself, fighting back a smile. Catelyn was never very good at keeping track of her belongings, and more times than none Maddie would find a random shoe or iPod in her room. No doubt it belonged to Catelyn.

"Hello?" Maddie said into her cell phone. The other end of the line was filled with static and she could barely hear anything, until a voice broke through?

_"Madeline?"_ Someone on the other end of the phone asked, the static clearing for just one second. It took Maddie a moment to recognize the voice. It wasn't Catelyn, it was her mom. But she sounded… different.

"Mrs. Tyrell?" Maddie questioned uneasily. Something was definitely off, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

_"Oh Madeline,"_ Mrs. Tyrell sobbed, _"it's Catelyn."_ Suddenly Maddie realized that it hadn't been static, it had been Mrs. Peters crying.

"Wh-what is it? What happened? Is she okay?" Before she knew it, Maddie was crying also. She didn't know exactly what was going on, only that it involved her best friend, and that it wasn't good.

_"Maddie,"_ Mrs. Peters said, her voice shaking. _"She's mi-missing,"_ the woman's voice cracked on the last word. Unable to stop it, Mrs. Peters broke down once more, causing Maddie to do the same.

By this time Jacob, who'd only heard half of the conversation and saw Maddie sobbing, had pulled over on the side of the road.

Maddie said one final thing to her best friend's mom, "I'm coming. You and Blaine wait for me, I'll be there as soon as I can." Unable to hold back her sobs, and not wanting to listen to the broken-hearted cries of a woman whose child was missing, Maddie clicked off her cell phone.

At that point, Maddie didn't know what to do. She was overwhelmed with fear and panic, and grief stricken. So she did the only thing she could… She put her head down into her hands, and she sobbed. In an attempt to comfort her, Jake pulled Maddie towards him. It broke his heart to see her like that, knowing there was nothing he could do but rub her back and try his best to soothe her. He didn't even know the reason behind why she was so upset, but that didn't matter.

Eventually, Maddie's tears ran dry and her sobs faded into nothing more than muffled sniffles. She sat up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Jacob didn't know how long they had been sitting there, only that they'd probably missed dinner.

"I need to go home," Maddie told him, her voice quivering.

"Yeah no problem, we're just down the street," Jacob replied as he went to start the car, but was stopped by Maddie's hand on his.

"No, I need to go home, to Wisconsin. Something's happened Jake," she said. "It's my friend, she's missing," Maddie fought to keep the tears back.

"I'm sorry," Jacob said, not knowing what else to do. He was close to tears himself, and knew it wouldn't help if he started crying too. Maddie just shook her head. She feared that if she said anything else, she wouldn't be able to stop the tears.

"I'm coming too," Jacob said. It wasn't a question at all, it was a statement. He'd made up his mind and there was no changing it. Jacob put the truck in drive and continued to the Swan's house. Maddie was silent for the rest of the ride, just staring out the window into the darkness.

Bella and Charlie's reactions when Maddie got home were shocked, to say the least. Maddie was a mess. Her eye makeup was smeared all down her face, her eyes were red and puffy and her hair resembled something of a haystack.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked concerned. Maddie sat down at the kitchen table and Jake took the seat next to her. Maddie struggled to get the words out.

"My best friend back home is missing, her mom called me today," Maddie said.

"Maddie, I'm so sorry," Bella and Charlie said at the same time. Maddie wiped away the newly formed tears that were silently flowing.

"I need to go home," she said matter-of-factly. Bella nodded and Charlie stood up.

"Well of course you do," he told her.

"I'm supposed to be going on college visits with the Cullen's tomorrow, but I'll cancel. I want to be there with you," Bella said. But Maddie shook her head in protest.

"No Bella, don't do that," Maddie replied. "Jacob already said he'd come." Charlie looked a little weary, but then he remembered the circumstances and immediately decided that would actually be the best idea.

"I'll go book you tickets, you go pack," Bella said heading towards the computer in the living room.

"Here," Maddie called, reaching for her purse, "use this credit card to book mine and Jake's tickets into Rogan International Airport."

Maddie waited until Bella retrieved the card before she turned to face Jacob. "Thank you," she said truly grateful.

"Let's go pack," he instructed standing up. Maddie did the same, following him up the stairs to her closet. Jacob pulled a black duffle bag out and put it on the floor. Maddie sat on her bed, unable to move. Jake went to the closet and began pulling out random articles of clothing. Sweatpants, sweatshirts, t-shirts and other things.

Maddie found it was harder not doing anything at all. Her thoughts kept drifting to her missing friend, her brain thinking up the most horrific situations. She shivered and stood, making her way to the dresser where the rest of her clothes were kept. She grabbed some bras, underwear and socks, and shoved them into the duffle bag Jake had already began packing.

"Here, take these and go shower," he said handing her a change of clean clothes. She weakly protested, shaking her head.

"No, I'm okay," she tried reassuring her, but Jacob wouldn't have any of it.

"Just go," he told her.

"I don't want to be alone," she said, her voice barely a whisper. Jacob walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her shaking body.

"I'll wait right outside the bathroom for you," he promised, handing her the clean clothes. Maddie simply nodded and walked slowly to the bathroom with Jake in tow. She stopped once she had her hand on the door handle.

"I'll be right out," she said weakly before entering the bathroom and closing the door. Jacob paced the hallway with his hands on the back of his head. Once he heard the shower begin, he let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Suddenly dizzy and lightheaded, Jacob had to sit down. He leaned back against the bathroom door. Even over the sound of the shower, he could hear Maddie crying once again. Jacob closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the ceiling. For the first time since his mom had left his family, Jacob did something he promised himself he'd never do again, he prayed.

When the water in the shower finally shut off, Maddie's crying had ceased. She stepped out of shower and grabbed a towel. Maddie dried off and got dressed in the clothes Jake had given her. She was surprised to see he'd picked his own sweatshirt, but also glad. It comforted her. Maddie left the bathroom to find Jacob waiting in the hall, exactly where he promised he would be. He gave her a weak smile as soon as he saw her.

Jacob followed Maddie to Bella's bedroom to make sure she'd packed everything. Which was a good thing, because they'd almost forgot to pack her phone charger and some other miscellaneous items. Bella appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, holding some papers she'd printed in her hand.

"Boarding passes," she told Jacob as she handed them over. "Your guys' flight leaves tomorrow at 9:45 in the morning. It was the soonest one available."

"Thanks," Maddie said, unable to meet Bella's eyes. Bella shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, searching for something to say.

"You should try to get some sleep," Bella recommended. Although Maddie looked better after her shower, she'd be drained by tomorrow if she stayed up all night.

"I'm fine," Maddie shot back monotone.

"Thanks Bells," Jacob said. "I'll make sure she's okay," he told her. Bella nodded her head, there was no doubt in her mind that he'd take good care of her. She left the room with a half hearted wave to go call Edward.

With Bella gone, Jake was able to turn his full attention to Maddie.

"You know, she's right. You really do need some sleep," he tried reasoning with her.

"I don't need sleep," she said. But truthfully, just thinking of sleep made Maddie yawn. She was both physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Just try and lay down for a few minutes," Jacob told her. He knew that she'd fall asleep whether she wanted to or not. Maddie silently agreed and went over to the bed. She curled up and closed her eyes for a minute before they shot open again.

"Can you come lay down with me?" She asked Jacob. Jake made his way to where she was laying down and sat next to her. "You're not going to leave, are you?" She asked suddenly scared.

"I'll be here for as long as you want me to be," Jacob told her. She nodded, but Jacob knew she didn't understand just how serious that statement would be. He wasn't talking about just that night or that situation, but always.

Maddie laid her head on Jacob's chest, suddenly unable to ward off the demon she knew as sleep. After a few more minutes, Jacob moved her gently to a pillow and stood up. He figured Billy was probably wondering where the heck he was, and he had to pack a bag.

Charlie turned towards the stairs when he heard someone coming down. He wasn't surprised to see a very exhausted looking Jacob.

"I already called you dad and explained everything to him," Charlie said. Jacob was relieved that it would make it quicker for him to be in and out of his house.

"Thanks Chief Swan, I'm just going to grab some clothes," Jacob said gesturing towards the front door.

"Thanks for being such a good man Jacob," Charlie said seriously. "She really needs you right now."

"I know," Jacob said smiling half heartedly. He turned and made his way towards the driveway to go home. The night was eerily quiet as he climbed into the cab of his truck and started off towards La Push.

When he walked in the front door, he was greeted by Billy, who was sitting in his wheelchair in front of the T.V.

"Charlie called me," was all that Billy said. Jacob was too tired to talk to his dad, so he simply nodded his head and continued onto his room. He grabbed a duffle bag similar to the one Maddie had packed and stuffed some of his clothes into it. Going into the bathroom, he grabbed his toothbrush and some other toiletries items. When he was packed and ready to leave, he was stopped by Billy.

"She may not see it now, and she may not realize it, but one day she's going to look back and realize how lucky she was to have you," Billy said proudly.

"Thanks dad," Jake replied, bending down to give his dad a hug. "I'll see you in a few days."

Billy Black watched his only son walk out the door and was finally able to see the fine young man he'd raised.

When Jacob got back to the Swan's house, he didn't bother with a doorbell or knocking. Instead, he just walked right in. Charlie had already gone upstairs to sleep, and Bella was laying on the couch watching Jerry Springer.

"Is she still asleep?" Jacob asked. He knew that she'd be freaked if she woke up and he wasn't there. Bella nodded and went back to watching T.V. Jake went upstairs to where Maddie was sleeping. He set his bag down on the floor next to hers, went over to the spot on the bed where he had been before. He put his arm around Maddie and closed his eyes.

He thought a lot about what this would do to Maddie if they didn't find Catelyn. Jacob knew from how much she talked about her best friend that they were really close. Maddie had known her since the 2nd grade, longer than any of her other friends. Jacob thought about how much it would hurt him if he lost one of the guys, and just thinking about it made him sick. Jacob realized that he would probably never be the same after that. All he could do was hope that Catelyn was okay, and hope that Maddie would be okay too.

He remembered something he'd read in a book one time; "Sometimes hope is all you have. And sometimes, all you have isn't enough."

That quote scared him, because he knew it was true.

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**A/N: **Oh no! What now?? Haha jk. But y'all should review... because reviews make me happy. And happy author = quick updates! But you also should know I have 2 more days of school, then I'm moving officially. As you can see, things are pretty hectic. But I'm definitely going to try and update soon! Thanks for reading, Bam.


	10. Come On Get Higher

**A/N: **Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers! That's all I've got to say for now! And some of the pictures for this chapter aren't up, because they're saved on my laptop (which isn't working!) and I'm uploading via my dad's computer. Thank the inventor of flash drives! xoxox, Brody

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Come on Get Higher By: Matt Nathanson

_I miss the sound of your voice  
I miss the rush of your skin  
I miss the still of the silence  
As you breathe out and I breathe in_

_If I could walk on water  
If I could tell you what's next  
Make you believe  
Make you forget_

_Come on get higher  
Loosen my lips  
Faith and desire  
And the swing of your hips  
Just pull me down hard  
And drown me in love_

"**For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something" - Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

It had been just a matter of hours since Maddie first found out her best friend was missing, but to Jacob it seemed like years. They had just boarded their flight to Wisconsin when the entirety of the situation finally managed to weigh on Jacob. He'd seen enough TV shows and watched enough movies to know that young girls who go missing… Don't usually come home. And if they do, it's only because they're being carried via body bag.

Already, Maddie had shown severe signs of what this situation was doing to her. She looked ghostly from her lack of sleep she'd gotten the night before. Her usually electric blue eyes now appeared dull and lifeless. They were sunken in and framed by big dark circles. Jacob hadn't slept much the previous night either, but he was used to that. But the exhaustion Maddie was facing somehow rubbed off onto Jacob. Maybe it was just because he was so worried about her. All she'd done the night before was toss and turn in bed. She'd wake up crying at random hours of the night and not be able to sleep.

On top of that, she refused to eat. And when she did eat anything, she'd become highly nauseous and immediately throw it up. This was something everyone had learned the hard way that morning, when she'd tried to stomach two granola bars.

And yet, neither of those were the worst effects. It was her complete and utter silence that bothered Jacob. Or perhaps it was the fact that she couldn't stand being closer than two feet to anyone. There'd been the situation earlier that morning when Bella attempted to pat her arm, only to have Maddie jump about a foot backwards and nearly into some bushes. Maddie wouldn't even let Jake hold her hand. If Jacob said something to her she'd simply nod her head, or worse sometimes she wouldn't respond at all. Instead, she'd just stare hollowly off into the distance.

The plane ride was no exception. She'd made her way onto the relatively empty airplane in front of Jacob, made her way to their row and slid all the way over to the window seat. Jake looked around, and saw that the plane had hardly had any passengers. He figured it was a pretty safe bet to guess that they'd be the only ones in their row, so he opted for the aisle seat, giving Maddie her much needed space.

The plane took off a few minutes later, with Maddie staring out the window. Jacob wasn't exactly sure after how long, but eventually Maddie fell asleep. Jake was able to close his eyes as well, but sleep didn't come for him. Instead, he lulled on the edge of consciousness and dreaming, to the point where he was just daydreaming. After what felt like forever, the pilot announced that they'd be making their descent, and urged all passengers and flight attendants to return to their seats.

Jacob was surprised that by the time the plane landed, Maddie still had not woken up. He leaned over towards her, putting his hand on her arm. "Maddie," he whispered. "Babe it's time to go, we're here." Just those few words were enough to wake Maddie from her not-so-deep slumber.

"Thanks," she mumbled tiredly as she tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. While not many people would have thought much about that murmured, barely audible, one syllable word, it mean so much to Jacob. It was the first thing she'd said to anyone since the night before.

"Did you misplace something?" Asked a pesky flight attendant standing behind Jake. He stood up, only to find the plane practically deserted. He didn't realize that with just a few passengers is wouldn't take very long to de-board.

"Um no, we're good thanks," he said slightly annoyed. Maddie glared at the stewardess with nothing more than pure annoyance, causing the phrase 'if looks could kill' to run through Jacobs mind. He had to try hard to hold in the chuckle that threatened to escape.

Jacob was so surprised by what happened next, he almost jumped of joy. Maddie held out her hand to him, allowing him to take it. Jacob led Maddie down the aisle of the plane with a smile on his face. When they finally made their way to the exit terminal, Jacob stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and embraced Maddie in a much needed hug.

It was then, surrounded by quite a few curious and slightly confused faces, that Maddie broke down for what she thought was the thousandth time. Finally, after some amount of time had passed, her tears stopped and she was able to look up into Jacob's eyes.

"Thank you Jacob Black," she said with a weary voice. Jacob just grabbed Maddie's hand once again, and led her towards the baggage claim carousel to collect their luggage.

While Jake waited to grab the bags, Maddie called their ride to see if he was at the airport yet. Catelyn's older brother, Blaine, picked up on the second ring.

_"Maddie,"_ said a tired voice from the other end of the line. If Maddie had not been expecting something similar to a worn out voice of exhaustion, she wouldn't have recognized it.

"Blaine," she said struggling to fight back tears again. It seemed like that's all she'd been doing for the past 24 hours. "We're at baggage claim 4," she stated while looking at the sign.

_"Okay," _he said with a sigh, _"I've just got to pull around, so come outside."_ Maddie nodded for a second before she realized that he had no way of seeing it.

"Alright," she said in a whisper, not trusting her traitor voice, knowing that just one crack would be all it took to start the endless waterfall of tears. She quickly hung up the phone, just as Jacob appeared in front of her, effortlessly carrying a duffle bag in each hand.

"This way," she informed him as she led him towards the door. In any other situation, she would have been able to walk that airport blindfolded, because it was familiar. But that day everything just seemed so new, frightening and confusing.

Maddie and Jacob's flight had been long, and it was already getting dark outside.

Once outside, Maddie easily spotted the familiar silver Suburban waiting along the curb. Blaine was leaning against the hood of the car. He was wearing a pair of Ray-Ban aviators, dressed in black Puma sweatpants, a black zip-up hoodie and plain white shoes. When he saw Maddie approach, he easily embraced her in a huge hug. (**A/N: **Picture of Blaine on profile…)

If this had been any other situation, Jake would have been immensely jealous. But due to obvious reasons, he didn't care much.

"Jake, this is Blaine, Blaine this is my boyfriend, Jacob," Maddie said introducing the two. Jacob and Blaine shook hands.

"I guess I'll just take you guys back to your house," Blaine said to Maddie. "They call off the search when the sun sets," he further explained, looking down. "Then you could just come out first thing in the morning."

"Alright," Maddie replied simply. The drive to Maddie's house wasn't long, but it felt like it took forever. The car was silent the entire time, with Maddie sitting in back, Jacob in the passenger seat and Blaine driving.

Jacob was just taking in the surroundings of an unfamiliar place. He noted that while it wasn't quite as green as Forks or La Push, the woods were just as dense. In fact, the whole ride he looked out the window, staring into nothing but forest preserves and cornfields.

_She could be anywhere,_ Jake thought to himself. Then he realized that he hadn't seen any houses since he'd been there, a thought that was quickly replaced with _where the hell are we going,_ when Blaine turned into a barely visible driveway. Had Jacob been driving, there was no way he would have even noticed the lengthy driveway.

At the end of the driveway sat the biggest house he had ever seen in his entire life. It was easily at least twice the of the Cullen's mansion… And that was saying something. The house looked gorgeous from the outside, and as Blaine parked by the front door, Jake could only imagine what the inside looked like. Surely it would be as stunning as the outside.

Jacob and Blaine got out of the truck first, followed by a very quiet Maddie. Jacob was surprised that she hadn't asked more about how Catelyn went missing. But as Jacob went to get their bags from the trunk, he saw Maddie and Blaine hug each other again, and both of them were crying. Jacob decided to give them a minute, so he brought the bags to the front door.

"I'll call you guys in the morning," Jacob could hear Blaine tell Maddie.

"Blaine, are you sure you don't just want to spend the night here?" Maddie replied. "We've got plenty of room."

"No," Blaine politely refused. "I really should get home to my mom," he explained. Maddie wiped away some of the tears that had continued to fall.

"Tell her I love her, and I'll see her soon," Maddie told him. Blaine simply nodded his head and gave Maddie another hug.

"It was nice meeting you," he said to Jacob as he got in his truck and drove off.

Once Blaine's car was out of sight, Maddie walked over the front door of her house, pulling a key from her pocket. She unlocked and opened the door, which caused a security alarm to go off. Maddie walked over to the keypad and punched in the 4 digit code while Jake set down the bags and looked around.

The foyer they were standing in was huge. Jacob felt like he had just walked into a scene from a movie, or the pages of a magazine.

"Welcome to my house," Maddie said, trying to smile despite the fact that she was still sniffling from crying.

"It's beautiful," Jake said honestly.

"I want to show you something," Maddie said grabbing Jake's hand. "Here this way," she led him through the kitchen (which Jacob noted was enormous, like every other room in the house) and to a set of sliding glass doors. Maddie took Jacob outside and led him down to the lake.

They walked across the white pier that was connected to a path from her backyard. Maddie and Jacob passed several boatlifts before they finally made it to the end of the dock, where there were a few wooden benches. Maddie released Jacob's hand, but instead of sitting on one of the benches, she sat at the end of the pier with her feet dangling over.

Jacob did the same, and he was lucky that the water level was low enough he didn't have to get his shoes or pants wet. They looked out across the beautiful lake to where the sun hung low, reflecting astounding pink, orange and yellow splashes of color across the lake. It looked like it would be the picture on a postcard.

"It's amazing," Jacob said, knowing that amazing didn't even begin to cover the gorgeous sunset that was laid out in front of them.

"This is my favorite place ever," Maddie said thinking back to the first day Jacob had brought Maddie to the tree house in the woods. They sat in silence for a few seconds, before Jacob looked at Maddie, surprised to find tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Maddie," he said embracing her in a hug. "I wish there was something I could do for you, I feel so helpless seeing you like this," he admitted.

"You're here with me Jake, that's more than I could ever ask from you," she told him, wiping away the tears.

"You can't hold it in," he replied. "You've got to tell me what's going on inside that head of yours." Maddie sniffled, and looked out across the water. The sun was now at its lowest part in the sky, and the light was beginning to fade.

That lake brought back so many memories from when Maddie was younger. Memories of Catelyn. It had been where they'd spent most of their time together. The endless summers they spent just floating close to the dock on rafts, and the countless times they'd walk along the sandy beaches collecting seashells.

Maddie's thoughts continued to drift to happier times with Catelyn, and eventually the tears stopped. But Maddie continued to look out on the lake.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted.

"You have every right to be," Jacob reasoned. "It's only human of you to be scared in a situation like this."

"Everyone always says that their best friends are like their family, but Cate really is like a sister to me. Her family was the closest thing to a real family I'd ever had. I loved my dad and he loved me, but Catelyn's parents treat me like their daughter."

Jacob didn't know what to say, so he just pulled Maddie's hand into his own, letting her continue.

"I've known Blaine since he was 10," Maddie said. "And never once in the 13 years that I've known him have I ever seen him cry." Maddie was crying now. "Not even when their dad died four years ago. And that scares me, because it makes me think that everyone knows she's not coming back."

"She will come back, we're going to help bring her back," Jacob told Maddie, knowing that the chances of finding Catelyn at all, let alone finding her alive, were very slim.

"But what if we don't?" Maddie asked. "What if we never find her, and she's gone forever. What am I going to do without her?"

"You can't think like that," he told her. "You've got to keep yourself going and don't give up. But most importantly remember that no matter what happens you're not alone. I will always be here for you." Jacob said honestly, tears now forming in his own eyes.

"But I miss her so much already," Maddie sobbed. Jacob just wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothingly into her ear.

"I know babe, and you've got to keep thinking positive. Nothing's for sure until it happens." Maddie and Jacob sat out on the pier for quite a while longer, until the cold of the night became unbearable for Maddie, even when she was safe in Jacob's arms.

Morning came quickly, Maddie and Jacob both so exhausted they actually slept through the entire night, but woke up pretty early, around 7 am. The weather outside was mostly foggy, with a chance of rain showers later in the day. The weatherman claimed they'd be 'light' showers, but the clouds looked more dangerous than just a few rain showers.

There wasn't much in the house, so Maddie and Jake just ate some pop tarts from the pantry. It was about 8 am when Maddie's phone rang. It was Blaine, calling to tell them they should be at the Peters' house in 20 minutes. Maddie went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, while Jacob went to grab some clothes to wear. About 5 minutes later, they were both ready and standing at the front door.

"Ready?" Jacob asked Maddie as she approached him.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replied. Sometime last night, after she had talked with Jacob, Maddie made the decision that if she wanted to help find Catelyn, then she'd have to stay strong. She wasn't going to be of much help if she broke down in hysterics every 10 minutes.

"You can drive my car," Maddie told Jacob as she held out a set of keys.

"You have a car?" Jake asked, slightly amused. "But you don't even have a license yet." Maddie just shrugged and walked to the door.

"My dad was worried that I'd ruin one of his, so he got me one so I could learn to drive," she explained. Jacob just laughed a little and followed Maddie outside.

They went around to the side of the house, and much to Jacob's surprise, there was a bunch of garages. In total, there had to be at least 10, but it was probably closer to 11 or 12. Maddie walked over to the first garage and punched in the code. The door went up, revealing a very nice looking black Cadillac Escalade EXT. (**A/N:** Picture on profile)

_No way,_ Jacob thought to himself. "This is your car?" He asked incredulously. Maddie was already at the passenger door, and looked back to Jacob.

"Yeah, why?" She asked slightly oblivious.

"No reason… Just wow.." Jacob said, heading towards the driver's door. "I like it," he finally said while getting in.

About five minutes later, after Maddie had easily directed Jacob, telling him where to turn, Jacob and Maddie pulled up to the Peters' house. While it was way more extravagant than any house he'd seen, it still was nothing compared to Maddie's.

The driveway was filled with a large number of other people and cars. There were a few white tents set up throughout the front yard, and Maddie noticed about 5 or 6 police cruisers parked on the grass. Everyone was so busy with whatever they were doing, that no one noticed when Maddie and Jacob pulled up.

Maddie got out of the car, and walked towards the house with Jake in tow. She walked right inside, and was not surprised to see a bunch of people who were also inside as well. When they made it to the kitchen, Maddie noticed tons of sympathy food people must have dropped off lined along the counter and table.

"Madeline?!" A shocked voice asked from somewhere behind Jake and Maddie. They both turned around to face a very tired looking woman.

"Oh Maddie," the woman said coming forward to embrace her in a hug. The woman began crying, and Maddie patted her back in a comforting way.

"We'll find her," Maddie said, sounding sure. The woman just continued to cry for a few more moments, before pulling away, when she finally noticed Jacob.

"This is my boyfriend Jacob," Maddie said, "Jacob this is Catelyn's mom, Mrs. Peters."

"Oh do forgive me," Catelyn's mom replied blotting her eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said walking forward to shake Jacob's hand.

"What happened?" Maddie questioned, asking for the full story for the first time since she heard her best friend had gone missing.

"It was after school on Thursday," Mrs. Peters began, "Catie came home right after school and told me that she was going to go for a run downtown, and that she'd be back before dinner. But she never came home," somehow Mrs. Peters had managed to hold back the tears she had forming in her eyes. "There's no suspects yet," she added, "but they're still looking."

"I'm going to do whatever I can to help," Maddie vowed.

"Everyone's out back, they're just getting ready to set up the search teams for the day," Mrs. Peters added. "Why don't you two go out there and see what needs to be done. (**A/N** Picture of Catelyn's mom on profile)

Jacob and Maddie followed their orders, and went to the back of the house. They were amazed by the hundreds of people who were assembled on the Peters' backyard. There were a few policemen in charge, who were directing people into groups.

A couple of teenagers standing near the door recognized Maddie and came forward, storming her. And as a result, Maddie was forced to greet about half of her old school. She stuck near some of her better friends, who she introduced Jacob too.

"You guys can come with us," said Joss, one of the people Jake had just been introduced to. "We're going downtown to do flyers." Joss motioned to stacks of hundreds and hundreds of flyers that were lined up on the patio deck, each pile held down with a large stone.

"Just take a stack and a staple gun and head downtown. See if there are telephone poles you can put them on, or ask stores if you can put them in their windows," added some girl, who's name Jacob couldn't remember.

"That sounds good," Maddie said walking over to where an elderly woman was handing out staple guns from a plastic box.

Maddie got the staple gun and a roll of tape while Jacob grabbed a stack of flyers. Together they walked back to the car. Jacob got in, putting the flyers next to him, while Maddie entered through her door. She looked down to the stack of papers, and couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

The flyers varied with different titles and pictures, but they all conveyed the same message. They were your typical 'HAVE YOU SEEN ME?' posters that gave all of Catelyn's information, as well as who to contact with tips.

"I… ca-can't do… this," Maddie managed between sobs. Jacob put his hand on her back and rubbed it comfortingly.

"It's okay, everything is going to be okay," Jacob said, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than Maddie. Maybe it was because he was trying to convince himself that it would all be fine. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't get himself to believe that.

Being there in Wisconsin made the whole tragedy seem more realistic than ever before. When they were in Forks, it all just felt pseudo. Like it was happening, but not happening at the same time. But being there in the center of the storm made him realize that he wasn't imagining anything. The nightmare he was experiencing was more believable. That's because it was more than a nightmare, it was reality.

* * *

**A/N:** There you go guys! Hope you like it so far. I'm going out of town until the 18th, so no updates for a little. But that's about all. Remember… Review! Thanks for being such amazing readers. Take care, Bam.


	11. From Where You Are

**A/N:** Hey guys, I'm home now! But my internet is being spazz-tastic, so this has actually been done for a few days. It was a battle to write. All the characters started acting all silly, and wouldn't do what I wanted them to! But it's okay, because we eventually compromised. And here is the result: Hope you like it. xoxo, Bam.

* * *

From Where You Are By: Lifehouse

_So far away from where you are  
These miles have torn us worlds apart  
And I miss you  
Yeah, I miss you  
So far away from where you are  
Standing underneath the stars  
And I wish you were here_

_I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things_

_I never thought that they'd mean everything to me  
Yeah, I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

_I feel the beating of your heart  
I see the shadows of your face  
Just know that wherever you are  
Yeah, I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

"**Life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness, when it does -- is there someone in your life you can count on? Someone who will watch over you when you stumble and fall? And in that moment, give you the strength to face your fears alone?" -One Tree Hill**

* * *

Maddie stapled one of the Catelyn's missing posters to a worn, brown telephone pole for what felt like the millionth time that day. The sky was a splotchy gray color, with no spots of sun shining through. Cars whizzed by on the busy main street, and Maddie wondered how it was possible that people were enjoying their everyday routines, while she was putting up missing posters of her best friend.

She sighed with defeat and turned to find Jacob. She spotted him through the window of a small café across the street, hanging a poster in their window.

Maddie didn't really see a point to the posters, but she did it anyways. Because that was all she could do. And if one of those posters were really going to help bring Cate back, then she'd put up a million. Heck, she'd put them up for the rest of her life if it meant that she could see her best friend again.

She was lost in her train of thought, and didn't notice someone come up behind her. She jumped when she heard someone say her name.

"Maddie?" The voice asked, unsure. Maddie turned around to face the last person she would have wanted to see… Elijah. He looked different than he had the last time she'd seen him. His summer tan had faded, and his once short hair had grown longer and was beginning to curl at the ends.

Maddie looked different to Eli as well. So different that he almost didn't recognize her. Her usually healthy complexion looked pale and was practically translucent. Her eyes appeared dull and almost lifeless. Her hair was mangled and pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she looked as if she hadn't gotten any sleep the past few nights. But somehow, even with her disheveled appearance, she looked just as beautiful as any other time he'd seen her.

"Eli…" Maddie managed. She really just didn't have the time to deal with him. But she decided that being friendly would at least help things go a little better. She knew there was no way of getting out of the pending conversation, so she figured she'd just suck it up.

"I'm so glad you're here," he said giving her a hug, "I've been meaning to talk to you, and didn't get to see you last time you came home." Maddie fought back a small smile. Of course they hadn't bumped into each other last time she was in town, she'd made sure of that. Maddie had secretly been hoping that by the time they did run into each other, he'd be long over her. Today it seemed like that was not the case.

"Yeah that was… unfortunate," Maddie said, mentally reminding herself to be nice.

"I'm sorry about Catelyn," he offered, "I know you guys were close."

"Thanks," was all she could get out. It was hard enough for her to just think about Catelyn without crying, but talking about it was that much harder. It was something she avoided at all costs.

"But anyways, if you have a minute, have you eaten lunch yet?" He asked, clearly hopeful. Maddie had to fight the urge to slap him. Her best friend was missing and here was her ex-boyfriend, asking her out to lunch. As if she didn't have a million more important things to do.

"Yeah, about that…" Maddie began. "You see Eli, I have a--…"

"Hey," Jacob said walking up to where Maddie was talking with Elijah. Jake was no longer carrying the huge stack of flyers he'd dissappeard with, so Maddie figured he'd just finished putting up the last few. Eli was clearly confused as to who the heck the new guy was, and continued looking between Maddie and Jacob.

"Elijah, this is my boyfriend Jacob, Jake this is my… friend, Eli." Elijah looked really shocked and upset for a moment, then he looked enraged, followed by a frown of disappointment, and him looking like he would cry at any second.

"Nice to meet you man," Jacob said holding out his hand. Jake had a relatively easy time reading people, and could see that Elijah was obviously upset that Maddie was dating someone. _As if this toolbag would have had a chance,_ Jacob thought to himself.

"Yeah, you too," Elijah mumbled. "Umm, I've got to go… feed my dog, but I'll talk to you guys later," he added lamely.

"Bye," Jacob and Maddie said at the same time. Elijah walked away, and Jacob let out a chuckle. Followed by Maddie laughing and shaking her head.

"Seems like someone was a little disappointed you're off the market… Can I still rough him up a bit?" Jacob joked. Maddie laughed and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Jake… Play nice," she warned. Jacob was about to say something, when him and Maddie felt raindrops. They were coming down at a slow, light pace. But still just enough to annoy the two of them.

"Ewww, it's raining!" Maddie exclaimed as she pulled her hood over her head.

"Aww calm down," Jacob teased. "It's just a little drizzle," he told her. As if on cue, the rain began to pound down harder. It was as if the sky opened up and the heavens just started to pour. Maddie let out a high pitched squeal and slapped Jake's arm.

"Now look what you've done!" She pouted. Jacob pulled up his own hood and grabbed Maddie's hand.

"Looks like we better get going!" Jacob said laughing. They had quite a long hike back to where they'd parked. They began to jog together, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Jacob was so happy to see Maddie smiling and laughing, it was like she was being herself again, which was something he hadn't thought he would see for a really long time.

By the time they made it to the truck, the thunder was howling and the lightning was raging. The winds had even kicked it up a few notches and were whirling viciously outside the car. And by the time they'd made it back to the Peters' house, it was a full fledged, genuine Wisconsin thunderstorm.

Maddie knew something was wrong the minute they walked inside. The house was practically silent, and it took Maddie and Jake a minute to locate the group of people sitting in the family room. Mrs. Peters' was on the couch, crying into a tissue, and Blaine had his arm wrapped around her.

"What happened?" Maddie questioned, causing the eyes of the Peters' as well as several of the uniformed police officers to turn and face her. Everyone just sort of looked around at each other, until eventually one of the officers, who'd introduced himself as Officer Johnson, spoke up.

"We found a shoe out by Bear Paw Creek," he answered her. "It matches the same kind Catelyn was wearing when she went missing." Mrs. Peters' began to cry harder in the background.

Maddie felt as if someone had just knocked the wind out of her. She couldn't breathe and started to feel dizzy. She thought her legs were going to give out.

"Noo-o…" She said, her voice breaking. She put her hand up to her mouth and she started to cry. Maddie didn't even realize that Jacob had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

After a few minutes, Maddie's tears died down to nothing more than sniffles. She wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and sat down next to Catelyn's mom, who had also stopped crying.

"What happens now?" Maddie asked, scared to hear the answer. It took Mrs. Peters a few moments to work up the strength to answer.

"They're going to head back out there and pick up the search, once the storm breaks. They're going to bring in dogs who can trace her scent." Mrs. Peters explained.

"This can't be happening," Maddie whispered to herself. She understood that now, even more than before, the chances of finding Catelyn were little. Now there was evidence that something had happened to her. She hadn't just gotten hurt in to woods, or even run away. She was a victim of some sort of crime.

"Maddie," Blaine said opening his arms. By this time Jacob had stepped back and was standing somewhere outside the massive circle of police officers and a few other crying people. Maddie practically collapsed into Blaine's arms, but still clung tightly to the sleeve of Mrs. Peters.

"We'll be back first thing in the morning miss," said one of the older police officers. With that final comment the mass of people began to disappear from the room. Jacob continued to hang back until finally Catelyn's mom, Blaine and Maddie stopped crying.

"It's so late already, why don't you and Jacob just spend the night here?" Mrs. Peters offered. Maddie nodded.

"Thank you," she added breathlessly. Mrs. Peters excused herself, leaving Maddie, Blaine and Jake sitting in the family room.

"I'll grab you some pajamas," Blaine announced. He left the room in a hurry, still wiping tears from his eyes. Once he was gone, Maddie found herself wrapped in Jacob's arms, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

"Shhh," Jacob said in an effort to soothe her light sobs. Maddie pulled away, drying her eyes and shaking her head.

"I'm okay," she assured Jacob.

Jake knew that wasn't true, but he also knew there was nothing more he could do for Maddie. He feared that talking about the situation would only make it harder for both of them.

Blaine returned with an armful of clothes, handing a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants to Jacob. "These should fit you," he informed Jake, who murmured a thanks before grabbing the clothes.

"Here's a shirt for you," Blaine said offering Maddie a blue and white t-shirt. "And these were in the laundry room, I'm guessing they're yours," he handed her a pair of white shorts that had the Brennan Woods Girls Soccer logo on them.

"Yeah, thank you," she said taking the clothes.

"Maddie you can have the guest room, and Jacob I'll get you some blankets for the couch," Blaine informed them as he backed away towards the family room door. Maddie noticed how even in such a hard time, Blaine was still acting like a brother. Making a point of subtly explaining how Maddie and Jacob would not be sleeping in the same room.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Maddie said leaning towards Jacob. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and turned towards the staircase.

"Goodnight," Jacob whispered as he watched Maddie's familiar figure disappear into the shadows beyond the staircase.

"Here you go," Blaine said returning to where Jacob was sitting. He handed Jake a stack of blankets and a pillow.

"Thanks," Jacob said putting the bedding on the couch next to him. He looked back to see Blaine still standing in the doorway. Unsure of what to do next, Jacob scratched his head awkwardly.

"See you tomorrow," Jacob offered. Blaine just continued standing in the doorway, looking like he was lost in some distant thought or memory.

"Just take care of her, okay?" Blaine instructed him. Before Jacob had a chance to respond, Blaine disappeared into the looming darkness of the unfamiliar house. For the first time that day, Jacob found himself surrounded by complete in utter silence. Instead of finding it relaxing and comforting, Jake just found it eerie. From someplace far off in the house, Jacob heard the sound of a door shut, followed by more silence. He decided it was probably a good time to check in with Bella.

Jacob walked towards the back of the house, knowing that it would be empty. He found himself in a small den. In the far corner of the room, there was a huge flat screen TV surrounded by a couple of tan leather couches. The walls were covered with tons of family pictures, and Jake was unable to resist the urge to check out a few of them. They portrayed the basic, happy, Hallmark-card family. After looking at some of them, Jacob finally decided he couldn't put off calling Bella any longer. So he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the familiar number.

_"Hello?" _Came a recognizable voice from the other end of the phone line. She sounded tired, and Jacob mentally kicked himself for not checking what time it was back in Forks.

"Hey Bells, it's me," Jacob informed her. After everything they'd been through, together and apart, the nickname had always stuck.

_"Jacob what's up? How's Maddie, is she okay? Any new developments in the case? Do you guys know when you're coming home yet?"_ Bella fired off questions like a cannon.

"Whoa, easy there tiger," Jacob joked. He was really not looking forward to passing along the new information they'd learned today, and was worried Bella would insist that she hop on the next plane out to Wisconsin.

_"Jacob?" _Bella asked, her voice full of concern. She knew he was hesitant, and that could only mean it was starting to take a turn for the worse.

"It's not good Bella," Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, something he always did to calm himself. "They found a shoe out near some creek." Bella was silent for a few minutes. Her steady breathing the only indication that she was still on the phone.

_"But that could be anyones," _she reasoned, knowing full well that it wasn't just anyone's, it was Catelyn's.

"It's the same one she had on when she went missing," he explained. His stomach churned as he realized exactly what that meant. It had seemed so less threatening when the officer first informed them of it. But hearing him say it in his own words had much more of an impact.

_"I'll be on the next plane," _Bella said strongly. Jacob was not surprised at all, that was the first thing he had expected her to say.

"No, you can't," Jacob said. He didn't have any really strong reasons, he just knew it would be best for everyone involved.

_"But I need to be there for her,"_ Bella argued. Jacob was silent for a few minutes. He knew there was nothing he could say that would make her change her mind.

"Please," he said, hating the fact that he was begging. "Just stay put, I'll take care of everything here. I promise if anything else happens you can come. But not yet," he said. Bella didn't respond for what seemed like forever. She was contemplating what he'd just told her, deciding what would be the better option. She knew that she could trust Jacob… He really only wanted what was best for Maddie, and that was what Bella wanted too.

_"Okay,"_ she answered after an eternity of silence. _"But if anything else happens… I'll be on the first plane."_

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jacob replied, a sense of relief washing over him. He was grateful that Bella was trusting him to watch over Maddie. "Thanks Bella," Jacob said.

_"Be careful," _Bella instructed him before hanging up. Jacob pulled the phone away from his ear and took a second to think about what was going on. He was trying to decide if he should get in touch with someone from La Push, or not. After a few minutes of deliberation, he decided it wouldn't hurt, so he scrolled through his contacts until he reached the number he was looking for.

_"Yeah,"_ Sam's familiar voice boomed from the other end of the phone.

"Hey Sam, it's Jacob," Jake said. He had figured that if anyone would know what to do next, it was bound to be Sam.

_"Jacob, what's up man? I heard about what happened from Billy, how are things going?"_ Leave it to Billy to spread the word throughout the reservation.

"Not too good Sam. Things are really starting to get bad," Jacob didn't feel like explaining it once again, and he knew Sam wouldn't press him for more information.

_"Sorry dude, that's rough," _Sam replied. _"Have you taken a look around yet?"_ Sam asked thoughtfully.

"What?" Jacob questioned, confused.

_"You know, the crime scene," _Sam answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. _"Don't tell me you haven't been out there yet," _he added.

"Umm," was all Jacob could manage to get out. He couldn't believe he'd been so nonchalant. Surely he'd be able to pick up on a few things the police had missed.

_"You better get your ass out there tonight,"_ Sam warned.

"Aye aye captain," Jacob replied, half-jokingly. "Thanks Sam."

_"Anytime bro, and tell Maddie we all miss her, Especially Emily… the boys are driving her insane,"_ Sam said.

"Of course," Jacob retorted before hanging up his cell phone. He wanted to smack himself for not thinking of checking out the crime scene earlier. He decided the sooner, the better, and made his way back towards the living room. He took off his shirt and shoes, tossing them on the couch as he walked by. Heading towards the front door, he was relieved to see that no one had bothered to set the security alarm. As he made his way through the foyer, Jake silently hoped that they didn't have the kind of alarm that chimed every time a door opened.

The stars must have been aligned right for Jacob that night, because the house remained silent as he pulled the door open. He stepped out into the dark, rainy night leaving behind the one thing that mattered most in his life. The night was unusually cold, something Jacob didn't notice. Heat still radiated off his skin like an oven. Even the icy raindrops that pelted his bare skin didn't seem to bother him. He made his way to a patch of trees in the middle of the backyard, where he took off the remainder of his clothes before shifting into his wolf form.

When he was finally ready to go, Jacob took off sprinting towards the highway. He could recall seeing a sign for a "Bear Paw Creek" earlier as he and Maddie had heading into town. He continued to run alongside the highway, hidden by a barrier of thick trees, only slowing down as he approached the spot where he thought it might be. His suspicions were confirmed as he noticed a police cruiser parked alongside the highway about 500 feet up the road.

It made sense that the department wouldn't want a crime scene to remain unguarded during the night, so the presence of the patrol car didn't surprise him. From where he was standing, Jacob could easily make out the appearance of two officers inside the car. Neither of them probably felt like going out in the middle of a cold and stormy night to patrol some untold amount of land.

By this time, Jacob was feeling pretty good. He was relieved to be in his wolf form, because it allowed him to just forget his worries for a short amount of time. Remembering why he was there, Jacob dodged across the highway a safe distance behind the cruiser.

Once he made it to the other side of the highway, Jacob was hit by an unsettling scent. It wasn't very strong, but still the sheer rancidness of it was enough to make Jacob's nostrils burn. It was a revolting smell that he could recognize almost instantly, and it made his stomach churn.

It was vampires.

As he continued deeper into the woods, the smell became stronger. By the time he stumbled across a section of the woods barricaded off by yellow police tape, the nauseating smell had caused his head to begin throbbing. He noticed that there were a couple of stakes in the ground throughout the scene, no doubt marking off places where evidence had been found. Ignoring the police tape and evidence markers, Jake continued along, following the scent.

It went on for about another half mile, where it completely died down at the bank of a large lake. Jacob knew that the rain was part of the reason the scent was disappearing so fast, and knew that within a few more hours all traces of it would be gone, a thought that unnerved Jacob beyond words.

Jacob continued looking out upon the lake, contemplating what should be his next step. He blamed himself for not coming out here sooner, because he knew at this point there would be no hope in finding the vampire, or vampires, responsible. He knew that Catelyn was gone for good.

He also knew that the police would find no more evidence, and certainly no remains. It crushed him to think about how long and agonizing the continuing search for Cate would be. He also knew how hard it would be when the time finally came and the police abandoned the case, for Catelyn's family to bury an empty casket.

But who knew how long away that day would be. For some people it's a matter of weeks, while others hold on much longer. Years, lifetimes even. Never really knowing, and never getting the answers to what exactly happened.

Jacob sat out at that lake for a few more hours. Just thinking. Thinking about how much everything was going to change when that time finally did come. Maddie would be devastated. More than devastated, she'd be completely and utterly destroyed, her whole life would come apart at the seams. All because of a couple of sick blood suckers.

And it was at that moment that Jacob decided that Maddie must never know the truth about what really lies in the darkness. Not about vampires. Not even about werewolves. Even if one day the time came when they were married and had their own children, Jacob would continue to hide that secret from her. Passing it along to his kids, but always keeping it from Maddie.

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**A/N: **Poop, that chapter was tough to write! You guys should totally review, because it makes me happy! Anywho, I'm starting a new story soon… But it won't be posted on here for quite some time. And no worries, it most definitely will not take away from me updating this one! In fact, the next chapy is coming soon! Hope all is well, Bam.


	12. One More Day

**A/N:** To be honest, at first I really didn't like the direction this chapter was headed. But now, well, it works out just perfect. I actually meant to put this one up yesterday, but I ended up being a little too busy. Enjoy! -Brody

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One More Day By: Diamond Rio

_Last night I had a crazy dream  
A wish was granted just for me  
It could be for anything  
I didn't ask for money  
Or a mansion in Malibu  
I simply wished, for one more day with you_

_One more day  
One more time  
One more sunset, maybe I'd be satisfied  
But then again  
I know what it would do  
Leave me wishing still, for one more day with you_

"**One of the saddest realities is that we never know when our lives are at their peak. Only after it is over and we have some kind of perspective do we realize how good we had it a day, a month, five years ago." –Jonathan Carroll**

* * *

Maddie awoke the next morning with a killer headache. As she sat up in the unfamiliar bed, she struggled to recall the events of the night before. She vaguely remembered coming home with Jacob and how bad it was storming, but that was all.

Looking around the bedroom she was in, she could tell it was the spare bedroom in the Peters house. And then everything came flooding back to her. She remembered the exact words the officer had used. Without warning, Maddie became extremely nauseous. She jumped out of the bed and sprinted to the attached bathroom. Once there, she violently deposited the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She kept vomiting until nothing was left, but dry heaves. When her stomach finally calmed itself, she leaned back against the wall and put her head in her hands.

Maddie began crying for what felt like the millionth time. She cried for what she knew the discovery of Catelyn's shoe meant, she cried for the Peters' family, she cried for Catelyn, and how much life she had left unlived, and lastly she cried for herself. Somehow, in a span of just a few months she'd lost two of the people she cared the most about. And she couldn't stop herself from thinking that maybe she was somehow responsible. The people she loved were all gone and she knew that it would be hard, if not impossible, to carry on without them.

After a while, Maddie's tears ceased, and her violent shakes stopped. She stood up and looked into the mirror. For the first time in a long time, she actually saw the person looking back. It was a horrible sight. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair was a knotty mess, her skin was pale and her cheekbones were more prominent than ever before.

_What would Catelyn think if she saw me like this?_ Maddie thought to herself. Before she could give herself a chance to answer, she turned on the faucet. She leaned over and began to wash her face, splashing it with cold water once she was finished. Maddie went back to the bedroom to retrieve her toothbrush and toothpaste. After brushing her teeth, she attempted to pull a brush through her hair, which resembled a cross between a haystack and a bird's nest.

Once she was able to actually get it semi under control she put it back into a loose French braid. After deciding her hair looked at least halfway presentable, she looked through the medicine cabinet, glad she was able to scrounge up some Visine for her red eyes.

Returning to the bedroom, she threw on a pair of jeans and a zip up soccer hoody. Maddie took a deep breath heading to the bedroom door. She opened it slowly, listening for any sounds of people on the other side. Upon hearing none, she exited the bedroom. Leaving behind any safety and comfort to face the reality of a cruel world.

Making her way down the hallway she began hearing a voice, but was unable to tell if it was a person or a TV. As she approached the kitchen she was able to recognize Jacob's voice. Maddie stopped dead in her tracks, hidden behind the corner wall of the hallway, and strained to hear who he was talking to.

Hearing him continue on with his conversation, Maddie was able to tell he was on the phone. She turned her attention towards what he was saying, noting that his voice seemed stressed.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing," Jacob said. He paused for a few moments allowing whoever was on the other end of the phone to speak.

"Of course I'm not going to tell her, are you out of your mind?" Jacob asked incredulously. Whatever they were talking about, he seemed seriously appalled at whatever his counterpart had just suggested.

"That is what's best," he said. Once again, he went silent so the other person could talk to him.

"I know, and I'm sure," Jacob insisted. Whatever they were arguing about, he seemed intent on convincing the other person to agree with him.

"Not too much longer," he said into the phone. After another short pause he added, "Okay. I'll call you later, bye."

Once he hung up the phone Maddie retraced her steps quietly back to the bedroom. She wondered who Jacob had been talking to, and more importantly, what he had been talking about. When she reached the bedroom door, she turned back around. This time she made sure that Jake was able to hear her making her way towards the kitchen.

"Hey," he said as Maddie finally made her entrance, seeing Jacob for the first time. He was dressed in a pair of plaid cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Maddie noted how Jake had already put his phone away before replying to him.

"Hey. Where is everyone?" She asked while stealing a glance at the microwave clock. She was surprised to learn it was already 9:32 am.

"They started a search party earlier," Jacob said heading towards the pantry. Maddie heard him shuffle around a few boxes before reappearing. "Breakfast?" He asked hopeful as he shook the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch he was holding.

"No, I'm good right now," Maddie said, remembering her unfortunate episode earlier. She didn't know if she'd be able to stomach any food at the moment.

"Come on," Jacob said, trying to sound convincing. "It's the most important meal of the day," he pointed out.

"I'm fine, really," she said sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Jacob. He shrugged and went to return the cereal box to the pantry.

"Okay, but you should really eat something soon," he said. Maddie ignored his last comment and took a seat at one of the kitchen barstools.

"Sooo… she began trying to sound casual. "Have you talked to anyone from home yet?" Jacob had just exited the pantry and leaned against the counter across from Maddie.

"No," he replied, a little too fast. "Why?" Jacob asked sounding nervous.

"Just wondering," Maddie replied innocently. She absentmindedly began playing with a scrap of paper that was on the counter. "What time did they say they'd be back?" She asked.

"Around 10," he said glancing at the clock. "They want to cover the north side of the creek," Jake explained.

"I'll be right back," Maddie said excusing herself. She left Jacob standing in the kitchen and returned to the guest bedroom, where her belongings where. She searched through her backpack and coat pockets until she discovered her cell phone. Ignoring the numerous missed calls, voice mails and text messages she had, Maddie dialed Bella's number.

_"Hey Maddie,"_ Bella said sounding a little surprised.

"Hey Bella," Maddie replied.

_"I heard about what they found, I'm really sorry Maddie,"_ Bella told her sympathetically.

"So you talked to Jacob?" Maddie's voice insisted it was more of a statement than a question. Maddie must have caught Bella off guard, because she didn't answer for a few seconds.

"_No,"_ she said after a steady pause. _"My dad told me, his station found out through some connection in the police station there."_ Maddie immediately knew that Bella wasn't telling the truth. The little piece of information about Catelyn's shoe was considered top-secret. They weren't even releasing that fact to the media because it was the only sure piece of evidence they had.

"Oh," was all Maddie could get out. Knowing that the two people left in her world that she could trust were lying to her was a new low. It broke her heart that they were hiding something from her. "Well I just called to say hi," Maddie explained lamely. "Pass that along to Charlie," she added.

_"Okay," _Bella said. She almost added in a little sentence about keeping hope, but she knew it wouldn't help any. Any and all hope Maddie had once had was pretty much out at this point. _"Bye Maddie," _Bella finished.

"Bye Bella," Maddie said hanging up the phone. She waited a moment, contemplating what her next course of action would be. Confronting Jacob seemed like it was the most straightforward option, so she decided on that.

Maddie walked back out the kitchen expecting to see Jacob, so it came as a surprise to her that the kitchen was madly buzzing with people. Some she recognized as officers from the previous day, and others she didn't recognize at all. Maddie continued to comb through the mass of people, searching for a more familiar face.

The first one she found wasn't the one she'd been hoping for, but it was better than not finding one.

"Hey Maddie," Blaine said from the living room door as he walked towards her. He was wearing shorts and a hoody, but his legs were covered in mud.

"Hey Blaine," Maddie replied. "Did they find anything else?" She asked, a lump forming in her throat. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer to that question. Blaine simply shook his head sorrowfully.

"Nothing. Not even footprints or tire tracks," he told her. Maddie nodded her head in understanding, secretly glad that there was not one piece of solid evidence to prove Catelyn was no longer alive, even though somewhere deep down inside she knew Catelyn wasn't coming home.

"We're going to search the southside of the creek at 2," he told her. "You should come with." Blaine had begun backing away towards the kitchen.

"Okay," was the simple response she provided him with. No sooner had Blaine left that Jacob appeared.

"Hey, I've been looking for you," he told Maddie as he continued to approach her.

"Oh," she replied, still hurt by the fact that he was hiding something from her. Jacob was immediately able to pick up on her mood, and sensed something was wrong.

"What is it?" He asked her, confused. Jacob was just hoping that they hadn't found any more evidence. The shoe was devastating enough.

"I talked to Bella," Maddie said bluntly. She didn't want to waste time beating around the bush.

"And?" Jacob asked. He knew this conversation could go one of two ways. Either he'd lie his ass off to cover everything up, or he'd end up coming clean. He sincerely hoped that it was going to be the first option.

"You talked to her yesterday," Maddie said. It was more of a statement than a question. So what if Bella hadn't exactly come right out and said that, Maddie thought it was pretty obvious.

"Did she say I talked to her yesterday?" Jacob asked. He was mentally kicking himself for not telling Bella to keep their conversation on the down low. Honestly, he hadn't really expected her to go blabbing off to Maddie about it.

"She didn't have to," Maddie offered.

"Yeah, so what if I called her. I only talked to her for like two seconds, it really wasn't that big of a deal." Jacob said.

"Really?" Maddie asked slightly annoyed. "Is that why you guys both lied about it? Because it 'wasn't that big of a deal?'" Maddie had made the decision that she'd get to the bottom of everything, no matter what it took.

"Look," Jacob said lowering his voice. "Can we not talk about this here?" He looked around at the now-crowded living room.

"I don't care where we talk about it, but we will talk about it," Maddie demanded. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Fine whatever, I really don't care. Let's talk about it later," Jake offered. He was hoping that she'd agree, which would give him some time to talk to Bella about the situation that was developing.

"No, we're going to talk about it right now. And I don't care who hears us," Maddie said looking around the room. She was surprised that no one was staring at her and Jacob; it was quite obvious how intense their conversation was.

"Well I do," he said through clenched teeth. He was beginning to lose his temper. He was annoyed with how stubborn Maddie was acting. Why couldn't she just understand that he was doing this for her safety? "So we'll talk about it outside," Jacob grabbed Maddie's arm and began leading her through the never ending maze of people.

Maddie had never seen Jacob that mad before, and it scared her. When he grabbed her arm he held on much tighter than necessary and Maddie had no doubt there'd be a nice bruise there later.

When they were finally outside, Maddie did her best to get out of Jacob's ironed grip. "Jake, let go of me," she said while attempting to pry his fingers off his arm until Jacob finally dropped his hand.

"Maddie I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this," Jacob said. Maddie was now beginning to fume a little too, she couldn't believe he was being so unreasonable.

"Well than I guess we're even," Maddie said, practically yelling now. "Because I don't understand why you keep lying to me."

"So what if I talked to Bella," he shouted back. "That doesn't mean anything," he insisted.

"And what about that conversation you had this morning," Maddie spat back. "I guess that one didn't mean anything either." Jacob was slightly taken aback at her comment, he didn't know that she'd heard him on the phone earlier.

"Maddie," he said in a calmer voice. "Exactly how much of that conversation did you hear?" The wheels in Jacob's head were turning. He was trying to figure out what he'd said. He couldn't remember if he'd dropped the word vampire at all.

"Un-freaking-believable," Maddie said. "Worried about another secret conversation of yours Jacob?" She asked.

"Maddie, you just have to trust me," he said walking closer to her. "I only want what's best for you."

"I can't even believe this is happening… In the middle of all this," Maddie had tears forming in her eyes, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold them back.

"Maddie," Jacob said. "I'm sorry," he closed the gap between them, wrapping his arms around her. It broke his heart to hear her cry and know that he was the one who'd caused the tears.

Maddie didn't say anything for a few minutes. She just continued to cry into Jacob's chest. Until finally she pulled away from him.

"I'm okay," she said wiping her eyes on her sleeve. It still killed Jacob to see her falling apart like that.

"Want to take a walk?" He offered softly. When Jake saw Maddie nod her head 'yes,' he gently took her hand and began leading her down the driveway.

"Maddie, you know I care about you a lot," Jacob said. He knew that she knew that, because he'd told her that many times before. But in all the time that they'd been dating, not once had they exchanged I love you's.

Even though it was true. Jacob really did love Maddie with all his heart, and he was _in_ love with her. And while Maddie had never told him, she loved him back. He was the greatest thing that had ever happened to her, and she didn't want to lose him.

"I know," was all she was able to get out in response. Jacob and Maddie walked hand in hand for a few more minutes until finally he spoke again.

"And I can't tell you what I was talking about on the phone, because I want to protect you." As lame as that sounded, Jacob really hoped Maddie would know it was true.

"From what?" She questioned without looking at him. Jacob just sighed. He really didn't have a perfect explanation.

"From everything," he told her. "And Catelyn disappearing scares the shit out of me," Jake continued, "because it makes me realize just how true all of this is." Maddie thought about what he had said for a moment.

"People don't just disappear, Jacob. Other people stop looking for them." Since the day Catelyn had gone missing, that idea was something that Maddie had poured her heart and soul into. For a long time she had believed that as long as they kept looking, there was still hope.

"Is that what you really believe?" He asked her. Jacob wanted what was best for Maddie, and as much as he didn't want to crush her, he could not bring himself to instill hope in a situation where there was no hope for Catelyn's safe return. It'd be like he was setting up for heartbreak.

Maddie was quiet for a long time, until finally she replied. "I don't know," is what she told him. "I used to, but now I'm just not sure. It feels like forever that she's been gone, and I know that every day the window to find her shrinks. But I don't even know where to begin living life without her, it scares me."

"You don't have to do it by yourself," Jacob reminded her. "You've still got me, and I'll help you. I can't promise to solve all your problems, but I can promise you won't have to face them alone."

"It's becoming clear to me that I shouldn't become too attached to anything. Turn your back, and you'll lose it; just like that." Maddie didn't know of any other way to get her point across, so she just hoped Jacob would understand.

"But that's just the way life is," he explained. "Sometimes everything goes according to plan… And other times it feels like the walls are caving in and the world's going to collapse. But no matter what, I'll always be here for you." Maddie stopped walking and leaned into Jacob for a hug.

"I know you will be," she told him. "And I trust you. So if you say I'm better off not knowing right now, then I believe you. But you have to promise me that one day you'll tell me."

"One day," Jacob promised as he kissed the top of her head. Maddie may not have known it, but that promise Jacob just made her was going to change her life one day. Knowing that Catelyn really was gone forever was one thing… But knowing what took her away was another thing entirely.

* * *

**A/N:** That's all for that chapter folks! Phew, Jakey barely dodged that bullet… Next time he won't be so lucky. Muwhahaha. Yay for reviews! Take care, xoxo, Brody.


	13. Sweet Silver Lining

**A/N:** First off, let me apologize for taking so long… I was out of town, and when I got home I just couldn't write. Note to self; writer's block is a pain in the butt. But without further delay… the next chapter! -Bam

* * *

Sweet Silver Lining By: Kate Voegele

_I'm going home  
__Down –hearted and hoping  
__I'm close to some new beginning  
__I know there's a reason  
__For everything that comes and goes_

_So many people are looking to me  
__To be strong and fight, but I'm just surviving  
__And I may be weak but I'm never defeated  
__And I'll keep believing  
__In clouds with that sweet silver lining_

_Most days I try  
__My best to put on a brave face  
__But inside my bones are cold and my heart breaks  
__But all the while  
__Something's keeping me safe and alive_

X---x---X---x---X---x---X---x---X

"**We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness." –David Weatherford**

* * *

It had been three days since Maddie and Jacob's fight. Three long, tired, unbearable days. Catelyn's case was slowing down with the lack of leads and suspects. No one involved could stand to look each other in the eyes, because they all knew the end was drawing near. The search continued to drag on, becoming unendurable… But somehow they managed to keep going. There wasn't much left that they could do. They'd done flyers in town, and the surrounding areas. They'd even searched the woods surrounding the creek at least three times.

Somehow, none of that had been enough. No matter how much they did, it would never be enough. Slowly, the local police department began to draw their men and women out of the case, until there were just a few left. Even the number of volunteers began to dissipate.

The case had just gone completely cold. Unlike with other disappearance cases, they did not have one suspect or viable piece of evidence. Heck, there wasn't even enough evidence to prove that Catelyn had actually been kidnapped. One lousy running shoe bought from the biggest shoe manufacturer in the country was hardly solid evidence.

There'd been no footprints. No tire marks. No blood. And certainly no ransom demands. The case had easily stumped the local law enforcement as well as a few other big guns, like the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip hotline that had been set up did nothing but cause a few wild goose chases. Every tip just brought them closer to the upsetting reality that finding Catelyn was highly unlikely.

Maddie knew that she would have to return to Forks eventually, her and Jacob had been gone a week already. With no new advancements in the case, they would be forced to resume their normal lives soon. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that day came much sooner than expected.

To Maddie it felt surreal, standing in the crowded airport terminal awaiting hers and Jacob's flight. She'd gone to Wisconsin with high hopes of finding her friend, but had those hopes diminished quickly, if not instantly. If it would have been up to her, she would have never gone back to Forks. She would have much rather stayed back and continued the search for Catelyn. But thanks to constant phone calls from a very worried Charlie, along Mrs. Peters constant persuasion, Forks was just where they were headed. Although it was hard to say goodbye to Catelyn's mom and Blaine, it was equally as hard to bid a final farewell to the other people involved with the case.

It was even harder for her to say goodbye to everything she was leaving behind, because she didn't know when the next time she'd be back was. Maddie knew it was impossible, but she was kind of hoping that she wouldn't have to come back at all, or at least a really really long time. As eager as she was to abandon everything, the goodbyes were still devastating. There was an enormous amount of unspoken grief.

Returning to Forks didn't bring quite the relief Maddie had hoped it would. Everything was normal, but it just felt… different. Despite the still obvious tension between her and Jacob, they were just as inseparable as before. Things in Forks were just the way Maddie had left them. Returning to school was an indurate task, just as she'd expected it to be. Everyone at Forks High had heard of Catelyn's case, it had been covered by national television stations. And of course word had gotten around that she was Maddie's best friend.

There was no way around the constant looks and words of sympathy Maddie received. Or even the unavoidable situation that presented itself every class period on her first day back. The situation where the teacher pulled her aside to talk about how if there was anything she needed, just ask. It wasn't too bad at first, but by 6th period, things had gotten a little repetitive.

No one failed to notice how Maddie just wasn't herself anymore. Not that there were any drastic changes, but she was just different somehow. She was more serious, and the way she carried herself with more sorrow than ever. But everyone just decided to mind their own business.

Jacob was more of a help to Maddie than ever before. Slowly, day by day, Maddie was beginning to return to her usual self. And after about two weeks, she was doing a lot better. Of course she still had her breakdowns, which were to be expected. Someone can't just lose their best friend and continue on like nothing's happened.

But with the bad moments, also came the good. Maddie had the ability just get caught up in the moment and nothing would matter but her being with Jacob. And the more time that passed, the more frequent these moments became. Everything seemed to be going pretty good, and before anyone knew it, summer was knocking. Maddie had finally begun to enjoy life again. Her soccer team had taken 8th in state, not bad for a school that had never even made it to playoffs before.

It was just a few days after school let out that Maddie received a call that she'd been expecting for quite some time. It was Hannah Peters, Catelyn's mom, calling to inform Maddie that they'd scheduled a service for Cate. They were finally going to put a casket in the ground for her, with high hopes that it'd bring much needed closure.

And so it was not long after that call that Maddie flew home to Wisconsin once again. This time the trip was filled with much less sadness. Everyone had pretty much said their goodbyes to Catelyn long before, the ceremony was just the final note of departure so that everyone could rest a little easier. Things went smooth, just as planned. A large amount of tears were cried by those in attendance, but that was to be expected. Catelyn's casket was filled with things she'd loved and cherished throughout her years, as well as handwritten notes from some of her friends and family members.

Jacob, Bella and even Charlie had made the flight to be in attendance at the funeral. They wanted to be there to support Maddie, and figured the more, the better. Edward would have been there as well, but due to certain… limitations, the sunny weather to be exact, he wasn't able to. After the much dreaded day was complete, the group returned home to Maddie's house. The next day, they just went out and enjoyed the beautiful weather. They boated, went tubing and even jet skied. Maddie showed off her awesome wakeboarding skills, which earned a couple of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the group.

Everyone was a bit disappointed when their last day there rolled around. Charlie promised that they'd be able to return some other time throughout the summer, which made things a little better. Jacob and Maddie were out sitting outside on the porch swing, Bella and Charlie had gone into town to pick up some dinner.

"It doesn't really feel any different, you know?" Maddie said as she stared out into the surrounding woods. "I guess I said my goodbyes a long time ago," she added in a whisper.

"She knew, Maddie," Jacob said as he absentmindedly traced patterns into the back of Maddie's hand.

"Knew what?" Maddie asked, slightly confused.

"She knew how much she meant to you, and she knew that you cared about her," Jacob explained as he continued his patterns.

"I know," Maddie said. "But that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier," she told him. And it was true, Catelyn had known how much she meant to Maddie, but that didn't mean that Maddie wouldn't trade anything just to tell her one more time. "When you're still loving what's gone, it's hard to move on," she finished. That was a lesson Maddie had learned very quickly after her dad died.

The wind began to blow gently, causing Maddie to shiver a little bit. Jacob put his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. They sat there like that for a few moments before Jacob broke the silence.

"I love you," the words were out of Jacob's mouth before he had a chance to register what he had said. The truth was, he'd been thinking about those three little words a lot in the past few days, and he knew that was how her really felt. He just didn't want to freak her out by springing them on her.

Maddie tilted her head backwards and looked up and Jacob, who seemed slightly surprised by what he had just said. "I love you too, Jacob Black," Maddie replied after a short pause. She stretched her body up and began to kiss him.

Jacob was kissing back and things were beginning to heat up when Jacob abruptly stopped. He pulled away from Maddie looking appalled. His eyes darted out towards the dense woods, they seemed to be searching for something.

"Jake, wha--….," but before Maddie could finish, Jacob held his finger up to her lips. He looked out into the forest once more, this time for what seemed like eternity.

"I thought I heard something," he said shaking it off with a lame excuse. "But Charlie and Bella should be home soon, so we should get the table set," he added.

Maddie stood up, still holding on to Jake's hand, and led him towards the front door. Maddie entered in first and was followed by Jacob, who paused outside to take one more quick sweep of the premises. Once he was sure there was nothing out there, he followed Maddie inside. Maddie went off to grab a sweatshirt out of her room, and Jacob went over to the patio door.

He was sure he had been something out there. He couldn't exactly figure out what it had been, the scent wasn't nearly strong enough. But there had definitely been something. Jacob brushed it off, he knew it was probably a deer or some other animal in the forest. Jacob went back towards the front of the house when he heard a truck approaching. It was Charlie and Bella returning with dinner.

This time, returning to Forks was much easier. Everyone seemed less tense, especially Maddie. The days were getting longer, and the nights were getting warmer. Summer seemed so close. Personally, Maddie couldn't wait to get out of school. Summer was her favorite time of the year, it was when she didn't have anything to stress over.

Jacob, on the other hand, was having the exact opposite feelings. He had been running with Leah and Brady one day when they came across the fresh scent of a few vampires. But that was not what had Jake worried. What worried him was the fact that one of the scents was eerily familiar.

When they brought up the issue to Sam and the rest of the pack, they decided that although it was quite some way out of town and away from the reservation, it was definitely something to keep in mind. That called for extra security, which meant they'd be running patrol more often and they would have to be observant about every little thing that happened.

Maddie could sense something was up with Jacob. He always seemed either extremely exhausted or on edge. Jake constantly assured her that it was just the stress of their up and coming final exams, and part of Maddie wanted to believe her.

But there was another part of her that understood there was more to Jacob Black than she knew. And she was actually okay with that for now. She knew that he would explain everything eventually, and Maddie was perfectly content waiting for that day.

Things returned to normal after a few days. The vampires hadn't disturbed any of Forks citizens, or anyone down on the Reservation. And it seemed as if they were just passing through, but of course that would make things too easy for everyone involved.

And so it only made sense that once again everything was thrown into complete chaos once again. It all started one rainy Saturday morning. Maddie had promised Jacob that she would hang out with him all weekend, so he was headed to her house bright and early that morning. As he pulled down her street, he was over taken with a recognizable scent. It was the same scent that had been burned into his memory just a week earlier.

Jacob's worse nightmare seemed to be coming true as he neared the Swan's house and the unbearable scent continued to strengthen. By the time he was just outside the house, the scent was so overwhelming that it made his stomach churn. He saw that Charlie's cruiser wasn't outside, so he didn't waste time knocking or ringing the doorbell, he just barged right in.

Maddie, who had been standing on one of the kitchen barstools, was so alarmed by the sudden commotion that she lost her balance and went crashing to the ground.

"Maddie! Are you okay?" Jacob asked as he ran over to where she was laying on the ground.

"Yes, no thanks to you," she grumbled, rubbing her arm. That was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"What the hell were you standing on the barstool for, anyways?" Jacob asked out of curiosity.

"Well if you really must know, there was a spider and I was trying to get it," she explained. "And why in the world did you suddenly feel the need to burst into the house?" Maddie questioned.

"I just… really wanted to see you," Jake tried to think of a reason to explain his actions.

"Oh, and you thought that this would be better done with an ambush? God forbid you actually use the doorbell for once..." Maddie was clearly still a little annoyed with what he had done.

"Sorry," Jacob apologized while grinning like a little kid who knew he'd done something wrong.

"I forgive you," Maddie said as she began standing up. "Even if you almost did make me break my neck."

Jacob rolled his eyes, laughing. But his laugh faded away as he remembered the reason he'd burst through the door in the first place. "Is Bella home?" He asked.

"You just missed her," Maddie told him. "But she just ran to get some dog food for Chowder, so she should be home any minute."

"Oh," Jacob said. He'd really been hoping that he could talk to her.

"Are we still going?" Maddie asked. "Because I need to go change really quickly," she added, gesturing to her sweatpants and t-shirt.

"Yeah," Jacob said, following her up the stairs, where the scent was just as powerful as it had been downstairs. Maddie went to the bathroom to brush her teeth while Jacob went to Bella's room to wait for her. He looked around, but wasn't able to spot anything out of the ordinary.

Jake made his way over to the small bedroom window that overlooked the backyard, which was bordered by nothing but forest. His eyes were searching the yard for any signs of movement. That was when he saw it.

Standing at the far edge of the backyard was a very pale looking man. He had dirty blonde hair and was only wearing a pair of mud covered, ripped, jeans.

"Shit," Jake murmured under his breath as he took off towards the stairs. He took of his clothes as he ran through the screen door, ignoring the faint 'Jacob,' he'd heard Maddie call. He ran straight towards where he'd seen the vampire standing just seconds before.

As he fled through the trees, he shed his last piece of clothing, just as a horrific shudder spread through his body. And just like that, Jacob was gone. Standing in his place was a huge wolf. He began following the scent, while trying to see if anyone else was phased or not.

_"Jacob?"_ Asked a familiar voice from inside his head.

_"Seth," _Jacob said, sounding relived. _"Get the others, I'm chasing the leech right now. He was at Maddie's house," _he explained. Seth's response was a loud howl that echoed somewhere off in the distance.

As Jacob got deeper and deeper into the forest, the scent continued getting stronger. He knew he was closing in on the vampire, and was surprised when he found himself in a large clearing, the vampire he'd been pursuing was standing at the other end. Jacob's let out a violent growl that uncontrollably tore through his body.

"Easy there, dog," the vampire said with a chuckle. "I just want to have a little talk." Jacob let out another growl and began moving forward in an effort to show he wasn't exactly keen on the idea of talking.

"Back off, Mutt," came another voice, this time it was from somewhere behind Jacob. He spun and found himself facing off with yet another vampire. This one was very different from the first, although they had identical piercing red eyes. The vampire he was looking at now had dark skin that contrasted immensely with the row of pearl white teeth he was flashing Jacob.

"Ah, Laurent, so glad you could join us," said the blonde vampire with a smirk. The vampire, whom Jacob assumed was named Laurent, let out a hearty laugh and shook his head.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," he explained. Jacob let out another vicious growl, which made the two laugh even harder.

"I'm here for the show as well," said a third voice from the opposite end of the clearing. Jacob turned to spot yet another vampire making his way towards where the blonde one stood. The third vampire had short brown hair and was dressed in much the same way as the blonde one. (**A/N:** Picture of Olivier on my profile!)

"Well then, you're here just in time Olivier," the blonde vampire said. "I was just getting ready to explain things to our new friend," he grinned as he turned to face Jake once again.

At this point, Jacob was getting a little nervous. One vampire would have been a piece of cake, two would have been a struggle, but it could have been done, but three? There was no way he'd be able to take down three vampires by himself, and who knows how many more they could have waiting nearby.

"Let me explain this in the simplest way possible," the blonde vampire began. "You have something that we want, and you're going to give it to us before things get dirty, end of story," he finished.

Jacob let out another growl and lunged forward towards where Olivier and the blonde vampire were standing.

"Well James, it looks to me like Fido here wants to do things the hard way," Laurent said from the other side of the clearing.

"That's fine by me," James said with an evil grin, "but let it be known, Mutt. I _always_ get what I want, and this time will be no different." Before Jacob could respond, he was sidelined by Laurent. He flew into a tree, snapping it in half with a loud snap. By the time he was on his feet to retaliate, the clearing was empty, with no signs of the bloodsucker's he'd just encountered.

Jacob knew that things were going to get ugly from here on out, but he would make sure they didn't get too far. Or at least he hoped he'd be able to keep things under control, but of course he wasn't exactly sure what it was that they wanted…. And then it him. Maddie. That was why her house was filled with their scent, that was why James had stressed that fact that it was him who had what they wanted, and that was why he'd been outside the house earlier. Those filthy leeches wanted the most important thing in his life, and there was no way in hell they were going to get it.

* * *

**A/N: **Again, so sorry for the wait. But let me know what you guys think about this chapter! James looks like James, and Laurent looks like… Well Laurent! But there's a picture of Olivier on my profile… Some of you might recognize him. (Hint: He's an actor!) Thanks, Bam.

- RIP baby Santiago-  
-Stay strong Ryann-


	14. Boston

**A/N:** I did not abandon you guys! I could never do that :) I am so so sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I've got a million excuses. First off, I'm an aunt again! My second nephew, Blake Andrew, was born and we flew out to see him. Me being the… not super bright person I am, left my laptop at the airport :( So now it's gone forever, and some lucky ducky is walking around with the next couple chapters I'd already written! Which means I'm stuck here re-writing them. It's a lot harder than you'd think. And now, drum roll please, the next chapter!

Boston By: Augustana

_In the light of the sun  
__Is there anyone  
__Oh it has begun  
__Oh dear you look so lost  
__Eyes are red  
__And tears are shed  
__The world you must have crossed  
__You said_

_You don't know me  
__And you don't even care  
__Oh yeah  
__She said you don't know me  
__And you don't wear my chains  
__Oh yeah  
__Yeah_

"**When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity." –John F. Kennedy**

_"Shit,"_ Jacob thought to himself as he looked around the now-abandoned clearing. _"Guys, meet me at Maddie's house, we've got big problems to discuss,"_he added. Sometimes he hated the fact that other members of the pack could get inside his head while he was in wolf-form, but today was one of the few day's he was actually glad.

Jake ran back towards Maddie's house, stopping just out of sight to morph back and pick up the dark cargo shorts he'd dropped. He jogged the remaining distance between where he stood and the screen door on Maddie's back porch. He picked up his t-shirt and threw that on as well.

"Jacob?" Maddie's voice called from the top of the stairs. He internally groaned, forgetting that Maddie would be more than a little curious as to where he'd run off to in such a hurry. Not to mention he'd been gone for almost 15 minutes.

"Yeah?" He replied. Jacob heard footsteps upstairs and within a few seconds Maddie appeared at the top of the stairs.

"What was all the commotion for?" Maddie asked him, only slightly interested.

"I thought I saw the Thompson's dog outside, but by the time I got out there he was gone," Jake said thinking of a quick excuse. The Thompson's were Maddie's neighbors, and their little Jack Russell Terrier had recently runaway.

"Oh," Maddie replied. Jacob let out a breath that he wasn't aware he'd been holding, grateful that she bought his story.

"Do you think that maybe we could just stay here and hang out today?" Jacob asked sounding hopeful. That would really make things easier… He'd be able to keep an eye on Maddie.

"Oh, sure," Maddie responded slightly surprised. "But you seemed really excited about going out…" she added.

"Yeah, but now, I don't know I just think it'd be nice to hang around here," he told her. "Oh, and the guys just have to stop by really quickly, I guess Sam's car has been making a funny noise and he wants me to check it out."

"Okay cool," Maddie said, her mood brightening instantly. She had become really close with the guys and enjoyed hanging out with them.

Maddie heard a car pull up outside and made her way towards the window in the living room that overlooked the driveway. She pulled back the old curtain and saw Quil, Embry, Sam, Jared and Paul standing outside.

"The guys are here," Maddie said, turning back to Jacob.

"I'm going to go talk to them for a second," Jake said as he headed for the door.

"Okay, cool, I'll come with," Maddie said following him. Jacob stopped dead in his tracks, his hand already on the door handle.

"Maybe you should just, stay here for a minute," he said. Maddie looked hurt and confused by her boyfriend's statement.

"What, why?" She asked. They were practically just as much her friends as they were Jacob's.

"I just need to talk to them about something really quickly, you know, tribe stuff. I thought you'd rather go and get a movie started," he told her.

Maddie was still slightly thrown off by the way Jacob was acting, she had only wanted to say hi to them for a second. "Yeah, okay," she said not wanting to show her disappointment. "I'll go grab one upstairs."

"Okay, thanks," Jacob said sounding relieved. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and was out the door. Maddie stood there for a second, still trying to figure out why Jake was acting so strange.

She came to the conclusion that something wasn't right. Maddie wasn't exactly sure what, but whatever it was, Jacob didn't want her to know about it.

_I'm a big girl, I can handle myself,_ she thought. She hated the fact that Jacob was excluding her from this, it made her feel like he didn't think she was capable of handling real problems.

Maddie made her way up the stairs and into Bella's room. Her mind was drifting as she looked through a box of DVD's she'd brought with her when she moved. She heard faint voices and looked towards the other side of the bedroom, where the window was slightly open. Not wanting to be seen, she crawled over to the foot of Bella's bed and leaned against the wall. It wasn't exactly ideal, but she could make out some of what they were saying.

"…. Seth and Leah running patrol down at the Res," Maddie recognized the deep voice as Sam's. Maddie didn't understand what he meant by 'running patrol.'

"Jacob stay here and…" This time she knew the voice belonged to Jared. "… keep things under control," he finished.

"Don't worry Jacob, we'll get them before anything happens," Embry said in what Maddie figured was a confronting tone.

Maddie really had no idea what in the world they were talking about, but it didn't sound good. She knew that whatever it was, it was big, and she was not supposed to know about it.

Maddie was so deep in her thoughts that she jumped when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She sprung up and took a few steps away from the window in attempt to mask the fact that she'd been eves dropping. A few seconds later Jacob appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, got a movie picked out?" Jacob asked pointing to the DVD case Maddie didn't even realize she was clutching.

"Uh, yeah," she said checking the title, "2 Fast 2 Furious." Maddie held up the case for Jacob to see, as if it was her alibi for what she'd been doing while he was gone.

"Perfect," he said, smiling. But Maddie couldn't help but notice how the smile didn't reach his eyes. Maybe she was over thinking things, or maybe she wasn't, but Jacob definitely wasn't acting himself.

Maddie and Jacob made their way downstairs to the living room. "Here, you put the movie in and I'll go get some popcorn," Maddie instructed Jake, throwing the DVD case to him. He caught it without flinching and went to go put it in the DVD player while Maddie walked to the kitchen. She grabbed a package of popcorn and began to microwave it.

She was standing by the sink looking at the window out into the backyard. Her eyes surveyed the dense woods that had never seemed more mysterious and she shivered. Maddie jumped when the microwave began beeping, laughing at herself for being so easily scared. She grabbed the bag of hot popcorn and returned to the living room.

Jacob was already seated on one of the worn couches and he scooted over to make room for Maddie. She handed Jake the bowl of popcorn and sat down next to him.

"So what did you and the guys talk about earlier?" Maddie asked as the opening credits began rolling. Jacob shifted uneasily before answering.

"You know, just about Sam's truck," Jacob replied before reaching for a handful of popcorn. By this point, Maddie was starting to get a little annoyed with the way Jake was acting. She knew for a fact that he was hiding something from her, and it was beginning to get very annoying.

"Jacob, how stupid do you think I am?" She asked, her words dripping with anger. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, I'm not completely oblivious to everything that happens around here," she finished.

Jacob was taken aback by what Maddie had just said. She was obviously upset about something that had happened, he just wasn't sure what. "Maddie, what the hell are you talking about?" He asked.

"I heard you guys outside earlier," Maddie informed him, purposely leaving out how little she'd actually heard. "You ran into the woods like a freaking madman today and ever since then you've just been acting strange. Do you not trust me enough to tell me what the heck is going on?"

"Maddie, no, that's not it at all," he reassured her as he grabbed her hand. "If I could tell you, I would, you know that," Jacob finished.

"Well why can't you?" She asked, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Because…" Jacob searched for the right words to make Maddie understand how bad he wished he could tell her the truth. "Because I don't think you'd believe me, and I don't want to scare you," Jake answered.

"Jacob, do you really think there's anything you could say to me that would change the way I feel about you?" Maddie questioned, the tears beginning to spill out now. "I love you," she told him. "You are the most important part of my life now and I don't know what I would ever do without you. I just wish there was some way to prove how much you mean to me."

"I love you too," Jake told her. "I'm just scared of ruining what we have. I'd hate to wake up one day and know that I screwed all this up."

Maddie didn't even respond, she was too worried that if she did, it only cause her to cry harder. And that was something she just couldn't bring herself to do. So instead, Jacob continued.

"Do you remember that day in Wisconsin, when I promised that I would tell you?" He asked. Maddie just nodded her head in response; she didn't trust her voice right now. "Well I still swear to you Maddie, I will tell you when you need to know. Right now you just have to trust me."

"Okay," she was finally able to get out. But Maddie was disappointed with Jacob's response. It seemed like since the day she'd met him, that'd been his big motto. Any other day she would have taken that one hook, line and sinker. But today wasn't just any day, and she wasn't one for believing that everything would work out okay. "But what if I'm ready to know now?" Maddie asked him.

Jacob was about to respond when the front door flew open and Bella walked in. Maddie and Jacob had been so preoccupied that they didn't even hear her loud, rickety truck pull up. She was slightly alarmed when she noticed them on the couch, but more so when she noticed the tears streaming down Maddie's face.

"Is everything… alright here?" Bella asked sounding concerned. Jacob let out a frustrated sigh.

"Yeah," he answered.

"I'm just going to run upstairs real quick," Maddie said, making a beeline to the bathroom. Which left just Bella and Jacob standing alone in the living room.

"What was that about?" Bella questioned, gesturing towards the stairs.

"I'll explain later," Jacob said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "But until then you have to promise that you won't let Maddie go anywhere alone… Scratch that, don't even let her out of your sight," Jake instructed.

"Okay, but Jacob if there's something going on…" Bella began, but Jake cut her off before she could finish.

"Not now," he pleaded with her. He heard the bathroom door upstairs open, and knew it was his last chance to get his point across. "And Maddie can't know," he said.

**A/N:** Yes, I know. A fairly short chapter. But I would rather put up this short chapter and update again soon versus me doing some long chapter and you guys not hearing from me forever! There will be an update soon, promise dudes! And James' motive will be explained soon enough. Hope you're all doing well. Love, Bam


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